Hope For Tomorrow
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: AU: Modern-Day Les Miserables story. Retired racehorse, Hope For Tomorrow, is on the auction block, wanting a permanent home. Marius and Cosette decide to buy their ten-year-old daughter Ella, a horse for her birthday. Marius takes Ella to a horse auction and she falls in love with Hope For Tomorrow. Rated M.
1. A Beautiful Friendship is Formed

Disclaimer – I own nothing of Les Miserables. It belongs to its respected owner. I do own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.

_**Italics **_are thoughts and flashbacks.

A/N: I completed Les MiserPotter and decided to write a Les Miserables fic. This will be my 174th story! Whoo! Cosette is Amanda Seyfried, Marius is Eddie Redmayne, Enjolras is Aaron Tviet, Eponine is Samantha Barks and Ella is Isabelle Allen.

Summary: AU: Modern-Day Les Miserables story. Retired racehorse, Hope For Tomorrow, is on the auction block, wanting a permanent home. Marius and Cosette decide to buy their ten-year-old daughter Ella, a horse for her birthday. Marius takes Ella to a horse auction and she falls in love with Hope For Tomorrow. Rated T because I'm paranoid.

Genre: General/None

Rating: T

* * *

CHAPTER ONE  
(chapter title – A Beautiful Friendship is Formed)

"Mom! Have you seen my favorite T-shirt?" Ella Pontmercy called into the house. Cosette was in the laundry room, putting some lights into the washing machine.

"Yes, dear. It's right here," Cosette told her daughter, handing her daughter her favorite T-shirt before kissing the top of her daughter's head. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Dad said he would take me to a horse auction." Ella answered as she sat at the breakfast table. She quickly ate breakfast and grabbed her cane. Two years ago, Ella had taken a tumble off the balance beam at school and shattered her ankle. It was slowly healing, but Ella was encouraged to take her cane everywhere and use it as often as she could.

Marius kissed the top of Ella's head as he sat down next to her. Ella looked almost exactly like Cosette, but had Marius' nose, eyes and chin.

"I got you this, birthday girl." Marius said, handing his daughter an auction booklet. Together, she and Marius looked through the booklet.

"Thanks, dad," Ella thanked Marius, kissing his cheek, "This is an interesting name – Hope For Tomorrow."

"Let me see that for a second, sweetie." Marius said, taking the booklet for a moment. He looked at the picture next to the horse's name and studied it for a moment. It was a full-page picture, so Marius and Ella could see the horse better.

She was silvery-gray and had a dark mane and tail. She had two back socks and a blaze that took up most of her face.

"She's perfect!" Ella breathed, running a hand over the picture.

Cosette packed lunches for her husband and daughter. While they were at the auction, Cosette would throw a surprise party for Ella. She and Marius had already gotten her a halter, lead rope, brushes and a leopard-print English saddle pad. Marius had a friend who owned horses and the friend said that he would let Marius borrow his horse trailer.

"I cannot wait to meet Hope! I hope she likes me!" Ella said.

"Who wouldn't like you, Ella? You're kind, compassionate, funny, smart and extremely pretty." Marius praised his daughter. Ella blushed at the compliment.

"Do you think Eponine would let us board Hope at her barn?" Ella asked, changing the subject.

"I was thinking my friend, Joly, would be better." Marius answered.

"Okay, dad." Ella said, staring out the window.

The two of them found where the auction was going to be and stepped out of the car. Marius held Ella's hand as they entered the barn.

"Ella, let me talk to you for a minute," Marius started, looking into Ella's beautiful green eyes, "I'm not exactly sure if we're going to get Hope, so do you want to look at other horses? What's wrong?"

"I know that Hope will be mine, dad!" Ella stated as her eyes welled up with tears.

"But what if someone else wants her?" Marius questioned. Ella shrugged her shoulders and looked at each stall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hope.

* * *

Seven-year-old Thoroughbred mare Hope For Tomorrow, stood in the tiny, cramped auction stall. Someone had glued a number to her hip, which she didn't like, but she didn't have a choice.

"There she is!" Ella called, making Hope's ears prick up. She pricked her ears and turned around in the tiny stall. A ten-year-old blond-haired, green eyed little girl walked up to the stall. Hope let out a nicker and walked forward a step, remembering her leg.

"Could we see this horse, please?" Marius asked a nearby groom. The groom nodded and entered the stall, clipping a lead rope to Hope's halter. He patted her shoulder as they exited the stall. Marius noticed that Hope walked with a limp.

"How old is she?" Ella asked, her eyes growing to the size of half-dollars.

"Seven years old." The groom answered, walking Hope up and down the aisle.

"Why does she walk with a limp?" Ella asked.

"She has the beginning stages of arthritis. With lots of love and caring, she should live to be well into her thirties." The groom responded, giving a gentle tug on the lead rope. Marius had the groom stop so he could pet her.

"She's so gentle and calm," Marius told the groom. He then turned to Hope, "you're such a pretty girl, aren't you?"

"She knows she is." The groom said, smiling. He continued walking Hope up and down the aisle.

"Did she race at all?" Ella questioned as the beautiful horse walked one more time in front of her.

"She ran in the Kentucky Derby when she was younger. She didn't win, but she did win the Preakness and Belmont." The groom answered.

"Does she have any babies?" Ella questioned.

"She has a colt – he's four-years-old and his name is Quimby." The groom answered as he put Hope in her stall. Ella smiled at Hope and stroked her neck. She placed a kiss on her velvety muzzle and followed Marius to the auction ring.

"Doll, we'll keep an eye on her." Marius told his daughter.

"I really, really, really, really, really want her, dad." Ella said as the two of them took seats towards the front of the ring so that they could see the horses for auction. Marius found the lunch that Cosette had packed for them. He ate his tuna fish sandwich while Ella ate her peanut butter and banana sandwich.

"Are you sure you don't want a pony?" Marius asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Ella shook her head. "Why do you want Hope?"

"Because of her leg." Ella said, indicating to her own leg.

"Honey, her leg is like that because she's old." Marius explained.

"There's something special about her that I really like." Ella answered.

By the two of them finished their lunches, the bidding began. The first horses were mothers and their babies, followed by stallions, geldings, yearlings and retired racers.

"How much do you have to spend, dad?" Ella asked as she looked at their bidding number – 736.

"I took out $900 to spend." Marius answered.

"What if the bidding goes higher than that?" Ella questioned.

"This is a sale for retired horses. I doubt that the bidding will go higher than $10,000 at most." Marius answered. He looked around the ring to see a handful of people sitting on the bleachers. Ella was the youngest one there.

The last yearling was led out of the ring. He was bought for $570. Ella smiled and hoped she didn't have anything to worry about.

The first horse was led into the ring. She was sold for $800. The next horse sold for $599. Hope was up next.

"This one's a beauty, folks," the auctioneer started, "this is Hope For Tomorrow. She's by Tiny Tim and out of Minerva's Ginerva. Half-sister to Rocket Man."

The bidding went on for a while, but Marius and Ella ended up getting Hope. Ella cried as she hugged Marius. He kissed her temple and the two of them exited the auction ring.

"I can't believe it! I own a horse!" Ella shrieked as she went to see Hope. Hope nickered and nudged Ella's shoulder. "Dad, she likes me!"

"All right, Ella, let's get her in the trailer. C'mon." Marius said, taking the lead rope from the groom. Hope balked and tossed her elegant head. "It's all right, pretty one. Let's go."

Two men sitting on a picnic table saw what was going on and came over.

"Need a hand?" one of them asked, getting another lead rope.

"That'd be great, thanks." Marius thanked the men. One put the lead rope around Hope's flanks and the other took the lead rope from Marius.

It took them five tries, but Hope was now in the trailer, eating a carrot that Ella had found at the bottom of her lunch bag.

"Cosette?...Hi, it's me….Yeah, Ella's fine….We got a horse….She's beautiful….What?...Okay….Okay…..Yeah, that'd be fine….Uh huh…Okay, we'll drop off Hope at Joly's place then we'll be on our way….Love you too, darling….Bye." Marius said. He then called Joly. Ella was listening to her portable music player and was mouthing the words to some song.

"Hello?" Joly answered on the second ring.

"Joly? It's Marius. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Ella just became a horse owner and I was wondering if we could board the horse at your place."

"Of course! I have a few extra stalls open. How far away are you?"

"We'll be there in half a hour."

"Okay. What kind of horse did Ella get?"

"A Thoroughbred. She's beautiful. Her name is Hope For Tomorrow."

"I love that name. How old is she?"

"She's seven-years-old, according to her papers."

"I cannot wait to meet the old girl. I'll put her next to Croissant and Dreamer's Beauty."

"They're nice horses, so I'm sure that the three of them will get along."

"I'm sure they will, too. Have you heard from Eponine at all?"

"The last I heard, she and Enjolras were doing shows with their Tennessee Walking Horses."

"She has to quit showing for a while."

"What? Why? Is she all right?"

"She's expecting her second baby. Enjolras tells me she's about six months along."

"Why hasn't Enjolras or Eponine spoken to me about this? We are still friends, aren't we? Enjolras was Best Man and Eponine was Maid of Honor at our wedding. Cosette and I filled those roles at their wedding. They're also godparents to Ella."

"You should talk to Enjolras about that, not me."

Joly and Marius talked for a while longer before Marius pulled into Joly's driveway. Ella opened her eyes and turned off her music player.

Joly came up the driveway, hand-in-hand with Courfrayac. Marius knew that the two of them were getting serious and had started planning their wedding after Courfrayac proposed and Joly said 'yes'.

"Marius! Ella! You're here!" Courfrayac called. Ella smiled and ran over to her uncle, hugging him. Marius smiled at his friends as both men hugged him.

"I got a horse, uncle Courfrayac! Wait until you see her!" Ella said, taking Courfrayac's hand and led him to the horse trailer, Joly and Marius not too far behind.

Courfrayac and Joly unlatched the trailer doors. Courfrayac went into the trailer and led Hope For Tomorrow down the ramp. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she let out an ear-splitting whinny. A few other horses answered her call as Courfrayac admired her from every angle.

"Wow! She's absolutely beautiful!" Courfrayac marveled. "Are you sure she's not for me?"

"No, uncle Courfrayac! She's my birthday present!" Ella said. Joly had disappeared into the barn and reappeared with a rake, shovel, hose and bath supplies.

"Happy birthday sweet girl." Joly and Courfrayac chorused. Ella squealed and thanked them profusely. Joly turned to Marius, "Can you two stay for a bit or do you have to go?"

"We probably should get going. Cosette is planning a surprise for Ella and I told her we would be home shortly." Marius answered.

Within minutes, they left Joly and Courfrayac's farm. Ella knew that Hope was in good hands.

"I cannot wait to tell uncle Enjolras, aunt Eponine and Sara about Hope!" Ella squealed. Sara was the same age as Ella and was her best friend.

She babbled all the way back to the house where the Pontmercy's lived. Ella stopped talking when she saw all her friends outside waiting for her.

There were six girls waiting, including Sara. Ella squealed and hugged Sara before Marius could stop the car.

The girls stayed for three hours, which was all right with Ella.

Eponine and Enjolras had come and were quietly talking with Marius and Cosette in a corner. Sara and Ella were playing with Ella's plastic Breyer horses in the other room. Ella's friends had left and Sara was the only one remaining.

"Here, let me help you 'Ponine." Marius offered, helping Eponine out of the chair she was in. Enjolras held Eponine's other arm as she was lifted from the chair.

"Thank you," Eponine thanked both men. She hugged Cosette and turned to Sara, "Love bug, we need to go."

"Happy birthday Ella." Enjolras told Ella, kissing the top of her head. Ella smiled, hugged Eponine, Enjolras and Sara, watching them exit the house.

"Okay, birthday girl, it's time for bed." Cosette said once the company left.

Ella said goodnight and thank you to her parents before doing her nightly routine.

As she fell asleep that night, she dreamed of Hope and their life together.


	2. Flight or Fight

CHAPTER TWO  
(chapter title – Flight or Fight)

Early the following morning, Ella and Marius went to see Hope. Ella fell asleep on the way to Joly and Courfrayac's barn. Marius was on his second cup of coffee which he got at McDonald's.

Ella opened her eyes and watched the sun come up. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It reminded her of the opening number of her favorite movie _The Lion King_.

"All right, sweet girl, we're here." Marius told Ella as he turned off the ignition. Ella sat up and stretched before exiting the car.

Courfrayac met them in the barn, a broad smile on his face.

"Joly's still sleeping, but he'll join us later," Courfrayac explained. He turned to Ella, "if you think that owning a horse is all fun and games, it's not. They have to be fed, watered, shod, stalls mucked out, have regular checkups and make sure they get plenty of exercise."

Ella nodded, knowing that owning a horse came with big responsibility.

"I'll show you how to muck out stalls, okay?" Courfrayac told Ella. She nodded and followed him to the feed room. He handed her a rake, muck bucket and broom. He exited the feed room and had Ella follow him down the aisle.

"We'll start with Hope and work backwards," Courfrayac told Ella. She nodded and watched him get Hope out of her stall. "While I'm mucking stalls, you can brush the horses and Marius can refill their water buckets."

The three of them worked together and an hour later, all the horses had fresh shavings, were brushed and had their water buckets filled. The three of them also worked together to feed each horse.

"What have you been feeding Hope?" Ella inquired.

"Let's start her off with three scoops of grain and half a flake of hay. She's new, so I don't want her to get sick right away." Courfrayac answered. Ella nodded and measured out the grain into a green grain bucket. Courfrayac got the hay for Hope. Together, the two of them headed back to Hope's stall.

Hungry nickers greeted Ella's ears as she, Courfrayac and Marius got each horse their breakfasts.

"Once their done eating, we'll put Croissant, Hope and Dreamer's Beauty out together. The three girls seem to get along pretty well." Courfrayac told Ella.

"When can I ride her?" Ella asked as she snapped a lead rope to Hope's halter ring.

"After your dad, Joly or I ride her, just to make sure she's safe. We don't want you hurting your ankle even more." Courfrayac answered. Ella sighed.

The three of them spent more time with Hope before Marius and Ella had to go. The two of them thanked Courfrayac for his kindness and got back into the car.

"Who was here?" Joly asked as Courfrayac came back into the house. Courfrayac stopped to use the bathroom and wash his hands before joining Joly.

"Ella and Marius. They helped me feed the horses, clean out their stalls and brush them. We then turned Croissant, Dreamer's Beauty and Hope out together." Courfrayac answered, climbing in next to Joly.

"We are perfect for each other, aren't we?" Joly asked as Courfrayac covered him with kisses, his hands slowly sneaking up Joly's shirt.

"Yes, we are, love." Courfrayac whispered in Joly's ear, gently nibbling on the other man's earlobe. Joly moaned with pleasure as he removed Courfrayac's shirt. Courfrayac removed Joly's pajama bottoms, along with his boxers. Joly mirrored Courfrayac's movements.

The two of them made love for a while before getting dressed and went to check on the horses.

Enjolras' car pulled into the driveway just as Courfrayac and Joly were tacking up Dreamer's Beauty and Saul. Enjolras, Eponine and Sara exited the car. They greeted the two men before turning to the horses.

"Can I see Ella's new horse?" Sara asked. She was a miniature version of Eponine, but had Enjolras' spirit, sense of humor and kindness.

"Of course. Follow me." Joly said, having Sara follow him into the barn.

"Eponine, I'm sorry you can't ride." Courfrayac said as he mounted Dreamer's Beauty. The elegant mare tossed her head and stomped her foot. Enjolras mounted Saul and turned to Eponine.

"Will you be all right if Courfrayac and I check on the cattle?" Enjolras asked.

"I'll be fine, here. Don't worry about a thing." Eponine assured the men. They galloped off into the distance as Sara emerged from the barn.

"Mama! Mama! You've got to see Ella's horse – she's beautiful!" Sara told her mother, pulling on Eponine's arm.

"Serephina Ashlyn Thenardier, quit it!" Eponine snapped. Sara stopped and looked at her mother sadly. Sara was extremely sensitive, so Eponine and Enjolras had to be careful about their tone of voice. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm just tired and I didn't mean to yell at you."

Sara continued to stare at Eponine, tears forming in her eyes. She ran back into the barn, crying. Courfrayac exited the barn and looked to Eponine.

"Are you all right, 'Ponine?" Courfrayac asked in a soothing voice.

"Yeah, I'm all right. I yelled at Sara and she disappeared into the barn." Eponine explained, tiredness in her voice.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Courfrayac asked. Eponine shook her head and slowly stood up. She hoped that Enjolras wouldn't take forever looking at the cattle – she had an appointment that afternoon to find out what she was having.

Right on cue, Enjolras and Joly arrived back at the horse barn. Enjolras sensed something was wrong and quickly dismounted Saul. Courfrayac offered to untack, brush and put both horses in their stalls.

"'Ponine? What's wrong?" Enjolras asked.

"I yelled at Sara and she's in the horse barn somewhere." Eponine told him between sobs. Enjolras kissed the top of Eponine's head and headed into the barn.

"Sara?" Enjolras called. He found her in an empty stall, crying. "Come here, sweet child," he sat down beside her and gathered her in his arms, "your mother didn't mean to yell at you. Shh. It's all right. I'm right here. It's okay."

Sara continued sobbing as her dad held her. Enjolras ran a hand through Sara's hair as he sang a little of 'Do You Hear the People Sing' to her. She eventually calmed down and rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

"Does mama love me?" Sara asked as the two of them headed out of the barn.

"Of course she does. She's just been exhausted because the baby's been keeping her up all night." Enjolras said, his tone gentle and quiet.

When they were almost out the door, Sara stopped and looked at Hope. She had her elegant head over her stall door. Enjolras smiled and rubbed Hope's ears. She rubbed her nose on his sleeve, making him laugh.

"We shouldn't keep your mother waiting. Do you want to come with us or stay here?" Enjolras asked. Sara looked to Joly and Courfrayac.

"Would it be all right if I stayed here?" Sara asked.

"Of course it would." Courfrayac answered, ruffling Sara's hair.

"We'll pick you up around five, okay?" Enjolras told his daughter. She nodded and told her parents she loved them as she watched them go down the drive.

"What would you like to do, sweetie?" Joly asked.

"Could I ride someone?" Sara inquired.

"Sure. I was going to take a ride, too. Would it be okay if I went along?" Courfrayac asked. Sara nodded and the two of them headed into the barn.

Sara decided to ride Sirius – a pure black Quarter Horse gelding with a gentle temperament. Courfrayac decided to ride Aladdin – a chestnut Mustang gelding with a bald face and two back stockings.

The two of them had the boys tacked up and rode in the indoor arena. They rode in silence for a while before Courfrayac broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about what happened this afternoon. Are you all right?"

Sara nodded and tended to a knot in Sirius' mane. Courfrayac stopped Aladdin and looked into Sara's beautiful brown eyes. He thought he saw tears forming.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Courfrayac asked, putting a hand on Sara's arm. Aladdin threw his head, but Courfrayac kept him under control.

"Ever since my mom found out she's expecting, she's been yelling at me more and more. I didn't do anything wrong!" Sara wailed. Courfrayac dismounted Aladdin and helped Sara dismount Sirius.

He sat down on a picnic table outside the arena and had Sara sit on his lap. He stroked her hair and held her, letting her know she was safe.

"Shh. It's all right. Let it all out. I'm right here." Courfrayac soothed. Just then his phone rang. Sara straightened up and wiped her eyes as Courfrayac handed the phone to her. "It's your dad."

"Dad?"

"Sara – your mom and I have good news for you. You're going to have a little sister." Enjolras said. Sara smiled and felt her heart soar.

"That's awesome, dad!" Sara squealed, forgetting why she was upset. "I can't wait to see her!"

"It won't be for another three months yet." Enjolras said, laughing into the phone.

"Can I talk to mom?" Sara asked.

"Sure, sweetie." Enjolras answered, handing the phone to Eponine. "Sara wants to talk to you."

"Hi, pumpkin." Eponine's voice was tired, but she was alert.

"Hi, mom. I can't believe I'm going to be a big sister!"

"I know. Are you having fun with Joly and Courfrayac?"

"I am. We just got done riding. My horse's name was Sirius and Courfrayac's horse's name was Aladdin."

"Pretty." Eponine sounded really tired. She handed the phone back Enjolras.

"Your mother is really tired, so we're headed home. Could I talk to Courfrayac, please?"

"Sure. I love you, dad."

"Love you, too."

Sara handed the phone back to Courfrayac and went to put Aladdin and Sirius back in their stalls. She heard her name mentioned more than once.

Courfrayac joined her as Sara put Aladdin in his stall.

"You're gonna spend the night here, is that all right?" Courfrayac asked.

"Yeah. That's fine." Sara told him, brushing Aladdin's soft coat.

"Ella might be joining us. Your dad said that Cosette has the stomach flu, so Marius is dropping her off shortly." Courfrayac told Sara.

Sara smiled and squealed – she and Ella were best friends and had been since birth.

The two of them walked up to the house just as Joly came out to meet them.

"I was starting to get worried. You two all right?" he asked, a scared look on his face.

"We're fine, sweetie," Courfrayac told his partner, kissing his cheek, "Sara and I were riding. Ella's coming soon – Marius is taking Cosette to the hospital – she has the stomach flu."

"Oh no! Poor Cosette!" Joly said. He turned to Sara and winked at her. "The four of us will have so much fun!"

"Oh, Joly. You're such a girl!" Courfrayac teased. Joly rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Sara covered her eyes and peeked though her fingers.

The three of them headed inside just as dusk was falling. Ella joined them a few minutes later. Marius rolled down the window and shouted 'THANK YOU' before driving off.

"I ordered a cheese pizza from By the Slice. While we wait for our pizza, we could have an appetizer and play a board game, if you girls want." Courfrayac told the three others.

"What games do you guys have?" Ella asked, hugging her stuffed dog to her chest.

"We have – Candy Land, Apples to Apples, Herd Your Horses, Battleship, Othello, Clue, Chess, Checkers, Mousetrap, Operation, Chutes and Ladders, Harry Potter trivia and Guess Who." Joly read all the games in the game cupboard.

"Harry Potter trivia!" the girls said in unison. Joly and Courfrayac looked at each other – the two girls were die-hard Harry Potter fans.

"Okay, we have the first though the fourth book and the fifth through the seventh book." Joly told the girls.

"Fifth through the seventh!" Sara stated. Ella grinned evilly.

"Okay, gents. Pick your poison." Ella said, already getting her favorite playing piece – Hedwig. Sara picked the Firebolt playing piece, Joly picked the Chocolate Frog and Courfrayac picked the Hogwarts Express.

All four of them put their pieces at Start and drew a House Card. Courfrayac was in Slytherin; Sara was in Hufflepuff; Ella was in Gryffindor and Joly was in Ravenclaw.

After the House Cards were drawn, the game was on.

"Okay, here's a tough one – who killed Albus Dumbledore in _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_?" Sara asked Courfrayac. "Was it A) Sirius Black, B) Severus Snape or C) Draco Malfoy?"

"Um, B, I think." Courfrayac answered, hesitant. Sara grinned at him.

"Correct!" she said, handing him the dice. He rolled a seven. Sara handed Courfrayac the trivia cards and looked at the icon that Ella had landed on.

"Ooh! This is a good one!" Courfrayac said. Joly and Ella looked at each other as if to say 'will it ever be our turn?' The order went – Courfrayac, Sara, Ella and Joly. "In the movie _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ what color does Nymphadora Tonks' hair turn when she gets mad? Is it A) Blue, B) Pink or C) Red."

"Easy! Red!" Sara squealed. She handed the dice to Ella. She rolled a five. Joly looked at the trivia cards and looked at what icon Ella had landed on.

"What did Harry and Ginny name their children in the epilogue of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_? Was it A) Seamus, Neville and Luna, B) Bill, Charlie and Fred or C) James, Albus and Lily?"

"The answer is C!" Ella answered.

The game continued on for a while before Ella ended up winning. Sara came in second, Courfrayac came in third and Joly came in fourth.

They had decided to wait to eat the pizza until the game was over. The four of them were now seated in front of the TV, eating pizza and drinking either milk (Ella), water (Sara) or beer (Courfrayac and Joly).

The movie they had agreed on was Tangled. Throughout the movie, Joly felt Courfrayac rest his head on his shoulder. Joly wrapped an arm around Courfrayac's waist and drew him closer.

Courfrayac burst out laughing when both girls sighed at the same time. Joly smiled and didn't break contact with Courfrayac.

Once the movie was over, the girls got ready for bed while the men cleaned up.

"You've been really good with them." Courfrayac told Joly, kissing his jaw line.

"Easy, tiger. We can't do that with two ten-year-olds in the house." Joly told Courfrayac.

The two of them headed to bed. Courfrayac set the alarm on his bedside table for 5:00 AM.

Towards the middle of the night, there was a horrible storm. Joly felt something climb between him and Courfrayac, almost knocking him out of bed. Joly turned on the light and saw Ella snuggling as close as she could to Joly.

"Ella? What's wrong?" Joly asked as thunder boomed, lightening flashed and rain poured onto the roof.

"I'm scared!" Ella squeaked, hugging Joly even closer. He patted her back and let her lay on him. He turned off the light just as Courfrayac snuggled closer, wrapping a hand around Ella's foot.

"What the hell?" Courfrayac asked sleepily. He lifted his head off the pillow and saw Ella asleep on Joly's chest. "Joly, what's she doing here?"

"She can't sleep during storms, so I'm letting her sleep on top of me for a while." Joly whispered a reply.

"Is she asleep?" Courfrayac asked.

"Yes." Joly answered. Courfrayac got out of bed as Joly put Ella in his strong arms.

"I'll put her to bed. I'll be right back." Courfrayac told Joly.

"I'll be waiting here." Joly answered as he fell back asleep.

Courfrayac came back two minutes later and hugged Joly close to him.

A foghorn blowing at 5:00 AM the next day got both men up and dressed in a hurry. Joly knocked on the girls' bedroom door, which was actually the extra bedroom, while Courfrayac started breakfast.

Once breakfast was eaten, the four of them headed to the barn to check on the horses.

"Guys, Hope's gone!" Ella cried, pointing to the open stall door.

She was right – Hope was missing!


	3. Rescuing Hope & The New Friends

CHAPTER THREE  
(chapter title – Rescuing Hope & The New Friends)

The four of them mounted Aladdin, Croissant, Sirius and Neptune before going off in search of Hope. Courfrayac and Joly had cell phones, so each girl went with one of the men. Sara went with Joly and Ella went with Courfrayac.

"I hope we find her!" Ella kept saying.

"We will. Just stay positive." Courfrayac told Ella, looking over at her. He placed a hand lovingly on her knee and squeezed it. Neptune flattened his ears and Ella gave him a quick jerk on the reins.

They rode until sundown, only stopping to get some lunch, use the bathroom and call both Marius and Enjolras to let them know what was happening. As they drove to get their daughters, they told Courfrayac and Joly that they would keep an eye out for Ella's beloved horse.

"She can't have gone far – I mean with her bad leg, right?" Ella questioned.

"Even horses with bad legs can surprise you how fast they can go." Courfrayac told Ella, keeping his eyes forward.

"Excuse me, is this your horse?" a gentleman asked. Courfrayac turned around in his saddle and saw a scared looking gray horse being held by its halter. "I saw her running through my fields and caught her."

"Thank you, sir. She's actually my horse. There was a storm last night and she got scared." Ella explained, snapping a lead rope to Hope's halter. Hope threw her head up and held up her left back leg. Ella dismounted Neptune and ground tied him before seeing what was wrong with Hope. "Easy, pretty girl. You're okay."

"Looks like there was some damage to her leg. If I can get her to come with me, I'll take her to the vet in my horse trailer. I'm Gabriel Javert, but please call me Javert." The man – or Javert – introduced himself.

"I'm Ella and this is my dad's friend Courfrayac." Ella introduced herself and Courfrayac. Courfrayac called Enjolras, Joly and Marius before turning his full attention back to Ella.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." Courfrayac told Javert as he shook his hand.

"The pleasure is mine. I was telling Ella I could take Hope in my horse trailer and take her to your vet, if you want." Javert told Courfrayac.

"That would be wonderful. We go to Dr. Cole out on Tennessee Road. Thank you." Courfrayac told Javert. Ella remounted Neptune and watched Javert walk off with Hope limping behind him.

"I'll meet you there." Javert told Courfrayac.

Courfrayac and Ella heeled their horses into a canter and were back at the barn in half an hour, Marius, Joly, Sara and Enjolras were waiting for them.

"We found Hope, but she's hurt really bad. Our neighbor, Javert, is going to take her in his horse trailer and meet us at the vet." Courfrayac told Joly. The two of them got in their car, along with Ella and Marius.

"So, what's wrong with Cosette?" Joly inquired as Ella and Marius squeezed into the backseat. Ella looked out the window and saw Sara and Enjolras following them in their car.

"Turns out she doesn't have food poisoning – she's pregnant and about four weeks along." Marius answered. Ella smiled and hugged her dad.

"I wonder what she's gonna have." Ella pondered.

"I don't care as long as its healthy, happy and all the limbs are intact." Marius answered.

"Tell her we said congratulations." Courfrayac told Marius, squeezing Joly's hand.

"I will." Marius told his friends.

They arrived at the vet office a short while later. Dr. Cole came out to greet them as Marius, Ella, Courfrayac, Joly, Enjolras and Sara piled out of their cars.

"Courfrayac! Joly! It's great to see you to again!" Dr. Cole greeted the two men, hugging them. Dr. Cole had short blond hair, green-gray eyes, was a little taller than Courfrayac and hailed from England.

"It's good to see you, too, doctor," Joly told the doctor. He then turned to his friends, "this is Marius, Ella, Enjolras and Sara. Everyone, this is our good friend Dr. Matthew Cole."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Dr. Cole said as a horse trailer came up the drive. "Is this your horse?"

"She's mine." Ella spoke up. She told the vet all about Hope as Javert led her carefully down the ramp.

"Easy, Hope. I'm not gonna hurt you," Dr. Cole soothed as Javert held her lead rope tightly in his hands. Ella could see that she was keeping weight off her right back leg. She snorted as Dr. Cole ran a hand down her leg. "Okay, sweet girl, let's get you into a stall so I can asses the damage. Ella, want to come with me?"

Ella smiled as Javert handed the lead rope to her. Marius and Enjolras walked on either side of Hope while Javert, Sara, Courfrayac and Joly stayed outside. Every few steps, Hope would raise her head high as she put weight on her foot.

Twenty minutes later, she was in a large examining stall and was being held by Enjolras while Dr. Cole examined her leg.

"Well, she's lame and she has a nasty cut on her frog, so that's why she's refusing to put weight on it," Dr. Cole explained as he patted Hope's neck. "Where did you say you got her?"

"At an auction three days ago for my birthday," Ella said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Dr. Cole, will she be okay?"

"She'll be right as rain in no time, sweetie. She just needs to keep weight off her foot for about a month or so." Dr. Cole told Ella.

"Can I see her?" Ella asked. Dr. Cole nodded and entered the stall with Ella. Marius watched from outside the stall. "Hope, you're gonna stay here for a while. Dr. Cole is going to take the best care of you – I just know he is!"

Hope whuffed softly into Ella's hair, which made her smile. Dr. Cole smiled as he watched Sara and Enjolras exit the stall. Enjolras gave Hope's flank a pat as he closed the door behind him.

Ella and Marius, along with everyone else, headed to their respected houses. It was a silent car ride for Ella and Marius, so he turned on the radio to a talk show while Ella stared out the window.

"Ella, wash your hands for dinner," Cosette told her daughter as she and Marius entered the house. Marius kissed Cosette and finished setting the table. "How'd it go?"

"Extremely well – we found Hope and she's going to be staying at the vet's for a while." Marius answered as Ella came out of the bathroom.

The three of them talked for a while before Ella complained that she was tired. Cosette kissed her daughter goodnight as Marius followed Ella to her room.

"I am so proud of what you did today – that was extremely amazing!" Marius praised. Ella smiled and got the supplies she needed to take a shower with.

"Thanks dad. I felt brave about what I did." Ella told her dad, hugging him. Marius smiled and hugged his daughter back.

He watched her go to the bathroom and heard the water running. He then went back to Cosette and stood behind her, kissing her neck as she put dishes in the dishwasher.

"Have I told you how lovely you are?" Marius asked.

"Only about four dozen times, but I don't mind hearing it again." Cosette told her husband, putting the last dish in the dishwasher before finding the soap and poured it in. She was about to turn it on when Marius remembered Ella was in the shower.

"Wait ten minutes – Ella's in the shower." Marius told Cosette. She turned around and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes and kissed her ever so softly on the lips. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with his soft hair.

Ten minutes later, Ella was out of the shower and headed to her room. Marius heard the door close and went to the kitchen to turn on the dishwasher.

When he returned to the room, he saw Cosette lying on the bed, facing him. He was drawn to her like a magnet and instantly fell on top of her.

She recoiled under his weight as he removed her shirt, bra and jeans. He sat up and removed his shirt and jeans before taking Cosette in his arms.

"You are so beautiful." Marius told Cosette as he placed a hand between her legs and felt around. Cosette left bloody scratch marks on Marius' back, but he didn't seem to care as he removed Cosette's underwear and his boxers before replacing his hand with his shaft.

The two of them made love well into the night. They fell asleep in each other's arms, which is where they would stay for the rest of their lives.

_Three months later_

Hope's foot was fully recovered and spent most of her days grazing with her friends. Courfrayac decided that it was time for Hope to get some training in her daily schedule.

He would work her out twice a day – once in the morning before she went out in the pasture and once in the evening when she came in from the pasture.

Ella and sometimes Sara would watch Courfrayac work with the elegant horse.

"I want to do that someday." Ella whispered, not taking her eyes off Hope or Courfrayac. The two of them were over at Courfrayac and Joly's place. Sara was supposed to go with her father to the market, but Eponine had gone into labor. Enjolras promised he would call Joly later so that Sara could meet her new sister.

"Not me – I want to ride them, either as a jockey or a cow girl." Sara replied, also whispering.

"Hey! Give me that back!" Courfrayac laughed as Hope picked up the lunge whip and ran around with it like a dog with a stick in its mouth. Courfrayac managed to get the lunge whip back and put it further out of Hope's reach.

"She's acting awfully young for a seven-year-old retired Thoroughbred!" A familiar voice greeted Courfrayac's ears. He tied Hope's lead rope to a rail along the arena and went to greet the man who had spoken. The man looked over at the girls and gasped, "this can't be Sara Thenardier and Ella Pontmercy! You two were babies the last time I saw you!"

"It would be good to tell them who you are – you're scaring them!" Courfrayac teased.

"Allow me to introduce myself – I am Raphael Grantaire, otherwise known as Grantaire. Your fathers haven't mentioned me, have they?"

Both girls shook their heads and turned their attention back to Hope.

"Who's lovely horse is this?" Grantaire asked.

"She's mine." Ella told him.

"She's a beauty! What's her name?" Grantaire asked, walking with Courfrayac into the arena.

"Hope For Tomorrow, but I call her Hope." Ella answered, watching Grantaire get a stepstool and gently massage Hope's back. She snorted and sidestepped, almost causing Grantaire to lose his balance.

"Hey, Hope. Easy." Grantaire soothed, rubbing Hope's neck. She snorted and backed up. Courfrayac untied her from the rail and held her firm.

"What exactly are you doing, Mr. Grantaire?" Ella asked, playing with her braid.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you girls – Grantaire is a horse masseuse." Courfrayac told the girls, not loosening his grip on Hope's halter.

"A what?" Sara asked, slightly confused.

"I give horses massages. Just like people get massages, horses get some, too, especially if they're old or have problems with their back or muscles," Grantaire explained. He motioned for the girls to come over so they could see what he was doing.

He started at Hope's neck and slid his arms down, digging his elbows into her skin. She pinned her ears against her head when he did that, but Grantaire ignored it. He moved down her withers and massaged her shoulders. He then went up her legs and traveled to her barrel. He then made his way up her flanks and down her back leg. He then repeated it on the other side.

Hope let out a contented nicker and nudged Grantaire with her nose as if to say 'thank you'. Grantaire smiled and patted her neck before exiting the barn. Courfrayac thanked his friend and turned his attention to Hope.

"All right, Miss Hope. It's my turn," Courfrayac told the mare, clipping the ten foot lunge line to her halter. He picked up the lunge whip and watched her walk in a wide circle around him. "Could one of you girls close the gate so she doesn't get distracted?"

Sara nodded and closed the gate just as Joly came cantering down to the arena, a huge smile on his face. He was talking on his phone to someone.

Hope pricked her ears forward as Joly entered the arena and handed his phone to Sara.

"Your dad wants to talk to you," Joly told Sara. She smiled and went to a quiet place to talk. Joly ruffled Ella's hair and watched his beloved work Ella's horse, "How's it going?"

"Trot, please," Courfrayac told Hope, gently flicking the lunge rope behind her. "Pretty good."

Sara came back a while later, smiling from ear-to-ear.

"What's going on?" Ella asked her best friend.

"I have a sister! Her name is Jolene Beth!" Sara squealed.

"Congratulations and what a beautiful name!" Joly commented. "Are you ready to see your sister?"

Sara nodded and followed Joly out of the arena. Joly waved goodbye to Ella and Courfrayac before closing the barn door.

Courfrayac finished Hope's training for the day and led her to her stall. Croissant and Dreamer's Beauty were already eating their suppers and Hope whinnied loudly. Ella had already gone to the feed room and scooped her grain into her bucket and got the flake of hay.

Ella ended up spending the night that night, after Marius and Cosette decided to have a date night before the baby came. He or she wouldn't be coming for another six months, but Ella didn't say anything.

As Ella and Courfrayac watched TV and ate Chinese food, Ella looked to her father's friend as her second dad.

She rested her head on his chest, falling asleep to the sound of his beating heart.


	4. Revealing Hope's Past

CHAPTER FOUR  
(chapter title – Revealing Hope's Past)

"Courfrayac, I'm going to the house – I don't feel good!" Ella announced one morning as she watched Courfrayac work with Hope.

"Okay. Joly's up at the house, if you need anything." Courfrayac told Ella. Marius and Cosette were out of town visiting Marius' grandfather and Cosette's adopted father. They would be out of town until the following day. Cosette assured her daughter that the trip would be long and boring. Marius said that Ella would have more fun with Courfrayac and Joly.

Ella ran up to the house and made a beeline for the bathroom. Joly looked up from paying bills when he heard vomiting. He stood up and walked to the bathroom door, gently knocking on it.

"Ella? Are you all right?" Joly asked, entering the bathroom. The young girl had tears streaming down her cheeks as she heaved into the toilet. He sat next to her and stroked her long hair.

A few minutes later, she finished getting sick to her stomach. She flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and washed her face before going to her room.

Joly got her some crackers and orange juice. He carefully carried it to the guest room and placed it on the bedside table. Ella was on her side facing away from Joly. He put the back of his hand to her forehead and drew it away – she felt warm to him.

"Ella, sweetie, can I take your temperature?" Joly asked in a soothing voice. Ella nodded and followed him back to the kitchen. She sat on a barstool as Joly found the thermometer and had Ella put it under her tongue for five minutes.

Five minutes later, the timer went off and Joly looked at the thermometer and frowned – Ella had a little bit of a temperature. Her temperature was 100 degrees.

"Let's get you cozy and comfortable, okay?" Joly told Ella. She nodded and made herself comfortable on the couch. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

Ella shook her head and looked like she was going to be sick again. Joly got her a bucket and he was glad, too. She barfed into it. Joly rubbed Ella's back and held her hair back just as Courfrayac entered the house.

"I need to run an errand for a friend. I'll be back later," he told Joly, tenderly kissing him. He turned to Ella, "how are you feeling?"

She shrugged her shoulders as she laid down on the couch. Joly went to empty the barf bucket into the tub and rinsed it out. He then got her a blanket and pillow from the guest room.

"I got it here, sweetie. I'll call Marius if anything happens, like we have to take her to the hospital." Joly told Courfrayac, kissing his cheek.

"I love you both so dearly." Courfrayac said as he exited the house.

"What movie do you want to watch, princess?" Joly asked, going over to their movie collection. "We have – 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood, Tangled, The Lion King, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Brave, The Lion King, Peter Pan, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Aristocats, Alice In Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Mulan-"

"Beauty and the Beast, please." Ella croaked. Joly nodded and put the movie in for Ella. As they watched the movie, he stroked her hair and got her whatever she wanted.

Ella was asleep on the couch and Joly was watching the news when Courfrayac entered the house later that night. He kissed Joly's cheek, which startled him.

"Sorry," Courfrayac apologized, looking at Ella, "How is she?"

"She's all right. I think she has the stomach flu. I got her to drink three bottles of water and a few crackers. She hasn't vomited yet, which is good." Joly answered, stroking Ella's hair. Ella continued to sleep.

"Do you want me to put her to bed?" Courfrayac asked, starting to gather Ella in his arms.

"Don't pick her up – she's very content like that." Joly whispered. Courfrayac stopped what he was doing and looked down at Ella. Joly was right – she was content. He stroked some hair out of her face, kissed Joly's forehead and went to their bedroom.

"I was going to call Enjolras to see if he wants Sara to come here for a sleep over." Courfrayac told Joly as he entered the bedroom.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, sweetie. I don't know what Ella has is contagious or not, so I think we better wait." Joly said, laughing when Courfrayac pulled him on top of him.

"Ella sleeps like a rock, you notice that?" Courfrayac noted as he undressed Joly.

"I have noticed," Joly moaned as Courfrayac put a hand down his jeans. Courfrayac looked into Joly's eyes as he took off his jeans and rubbed his manhood against Joly's. "That feels so good!"

Joly was about to kiss Courfrayac back when a noise in the front room made him sit up. He banged his head on Courfrayac's chin, starling his best friend and lover.

"I'm so sorry! I'll check out the damage when I get back." Joly said, throwing some clothes on. He then went out to the front room and saw Ella struggling to breathe. "Ella, sweetie. Breathe, okay? It's all right."

He realized she was having a panic attack. She had these twice a year and they were scary when they happened. They started when Ella was five and Marius and Cosette didn't know what started them.

"Can't…breathe!" Ella choked out.

"Shh, I know. It's all right. I'm right here." Joly soothed, rubbing Ella's back just as Courfrayac joined them.

"What's going on?" Courfrayac asked, joining Joly on the couch.

"She's having a panic attack," Joly answered, rubbing Ella's back. "Shh, shh, shh, sweetie. It's okay."

"What should I do?" Courfrayac asked.

"Call Marius and see what he and Cosette do to calm her down." Joly answered, not taking his eyes off Ella.

"Courfrayac? What the bloody hell are you doing calling at-" Marius looked over at the time. "10:30 at night?"

"Ella's having a panic attack. Joly and I don't know what to do." Courfrayac told Marius.

"Have her take deep breaths and keep her calm." Marius answered.

"Thank you, Marius." Courfrayac thanked his friend before hanging up the phone. He then went back over to Joly and Ella. "He said to have her take deep breaths and keep her calm."

"Did you hear that, Ella? Can you take some deep breaths for me?" Joly asked. Courfrayac sat on the other side of Ella and took her hand in his.

Ella took a lot of deep breaths and eventually calmed down. Courfrayac gave her some water as Joly rubbed her back.

"Are you all right if Joly and I go back to bed?" Courfrayac asked, kissing the top of Ella's head.

"No! Stay with me!" Ella pleaded, taking Courfrayac's hand in hers.

"It's all right. We'll all camp out here. It'll be fun!" Joly remarked as he retrieved some blankets and pillows for him and Courfrayac to sleep on.

Courfrayac and Ella shared the couch while Joly spread out on the floor. Courfrayac stroked Ella's hair as she slept, hoping that she would be all right.

The following day, Ella was eating breakfast when Courfrayac joined her, carrying an armful of papers. He dropped them on the table and started going through them.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Joly asked as he gave Ella some more pancakes.

"I'm feeling a lot better. Thank you," Ella thanked him as Courfrayac mumbled and muttered to himself. "Uncle Courfrayac, what are you doing?"

"This is all of Hope's paperwork – vet bills, auction slips, registration papers, breeding records, everything – I'm trying to find out more about her former owners." Courfrayac explained.

"And why are you doing that exactly?" Ella asked as she dug into her fourth pancake. Joly noted she was eating and took that as a sign she was getting better.

"I want to know why she went to auction in the first place." Courfrayac stated. Ella had gone to change into some barn clothes and pack her overnight bag. Marius would be coming for Ella around one that afternoon.

"Maybe the owners couldn't afford to keep her anymore. Maybe she got sick and the vet bills got too high. There's a thousand reasons that people put horses on the auction block," Joly told Courfrayac as he massaged the other man's shoulders. "Baby, you're so tense!"

Ella exited her room and headed to the barn to check on Hope. The elegant mare had her head over the top half of her stall door. Ella smiled and stroked the spot under Hope's forelock.

Courfrayac entered the barn and watched Ella with Hope.

"Can I talk to you about something before your dad comes?" Courfrayac asked. Ella nodded and turned her attention away from Hope.

"What is it? Am I in trouble?" Ella questioned.

"No, sweet girl, you didn't do anything wrong. It's about Hope," Courfrayac started. "I found out who her former owner was. Do you remember that day when Hope went missing because of the storm and the man named Javert found her?"

Ella nodded and swallowed back tears.

"It turns out that Javert was Hope's former owner. I contacted him and he shows no interest in taking Hope back – he wants you to have her." Courfrayac told Ella.

"Why did he get rid of her? Didn't he want her anymore?" Ella asked.

"He's coming over next week to talk about it with you." Courfrayac told Ella, hugging her close. Ella nodded and waved to Marius as he pulled in the driveway. She turned to hug Courfrayac before getting in the car.

"I'm so happy to see you, El." Marius told his daughter as she got in the front seat.

"How's mom doing?" Ella asked, waving goodbye to Joly as they passed the house.

"She's anxiously waiting your arrival," Marius said, adjusting his sunglasses. "I know I don't have to ask this, but were you good for uncles Courfrayac and Joly?"

"I was on my best behavior, dad, although yesterday, I was sick all morning and into the afternoon. In the evening, I had a panic attack." Ella answered.

"How are you feeling right now?" Marius asked, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. She didn't feel warm to him.

"I'm fine, but the panic attack really scared me," Ella said, staring out the window. Marius nodded and tugged at his daughter's ponytail. "Oh, Javert is going to talk to me next Wednesday about Hope. Uncle Courfrayac found out that Hope originally belonged to Javert. He's going to talk to me about why he gave her up."

"Does he want her back?" Marius asked as he pulled the car into the driveway. Ella shook her head and took off her seat belt. "What time on Wednesday?"

"Around 12:20." Ella answered.

"I can get you there, sweetie. Right now, your mom really wants to see you." Marius told his eldest, placing a kiss on her forehead. Ella smiled and entered the house.

Cosette was lying on the couch, but sat up when Ella came over to her. Cosette was six and a half months pregnant and couldn't wait to have her baby.

"Don't get up, mom." Ella told Cosette as she hugged her from behind.

"It's so good to see you, sweet pea." Cosette told her daughter, placing a hand on her arm.

"It's good to see you, too," Ella said, looking at her mom's stomach. "I can't wait to meet my new brother or sister."

"Actually, we went to the doctor today – you're going to have a little brother." Marius spoke up. Ella's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I can't wait to meet him!" Ella exclaimed. Marius and Cosette laughed as Ella skipped to her room.

The three of them ended up doing their own things that afternoon – Ella and Marius went over what the baby's nursery should look like while Cosette slept in the master bedroom.

Marius and Ella ended up ordering Italian food that night. Cosette said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest.

The following Wednesday at exactly 12:20, Javert and Ella sat at Courfrayac and Joly's kitchen table. Javert sipped coffee while Ella had some water. Courfrayac, Joly and Marius stayed in the living area, just in case Ella needed help with anything.

"I wasn't the first owner of Hope," Javert started. "I got her from my brother, Damian. He had liver cancer and when the treatments got too expensive, he gave me Hope. I became fully responsible for Hope, then a two-year-old. She was quite high-strung and loved to run. I had another horse, Timber, that I would race her against," he paused, smiling at the memory. "I then started having health issues. I sold Timber to a riding school and Hope, who was now ten months pregnant with Quimby, was getting harder to take care of. She gave birth to Quimby and right away, she started having health issues, like myself. She would nurse and play with Quimby, but other than that, she would keep her leg elevated, just a little bit.

Quimby was weaned when he was six months old, just like any other foal. I sold him to a friend of mine. Hope was now three and ran in the Preakness and Belmont, both of which she won.

I had enough money from her earnings to get the medical help I needed, but it wasn't enough to keep Hope. I got these severe headaches that made me dizzy. I spent four days in the hospital because of one. I couldn't pay the bills on time, so the bank took Hope and put her in the auction_._" Javert told Ella, tears in his eyes. Ella reached across the table and took one of Javert's hands in hers.

"I'm so sorry about what you have gone through," Ella apologized. Javert smiled at this young girl, "is there anything I can do to help?"

"I would like it, if it's okay with your dad, your uncles, and you, of course, if I could ride Hope." Javert said.

"She hasn't been trained to be ridden yet. Every time my uncle Courfrayac tries to get on her, she crow hops and bucks him off." Ella said.

"I had her for four years. When she wasn't expecting Quimby, I would ride her. She's very gentle and smooth." Javert said.

"Wait a minute – if she raced at three, then she's not seven – she's eight!" Ella realized. Javert looked at Ella as if she had sprung another head.

"What are you talking about?" Javert asked. Ella went over and got Hope's papers of registration.

"See – right there, it says HOPE FOR TOMORROW, born in 2005. She didn't race until 2007 and in 2006, she had Quimby, right?"

"That's correct."

"I did a little research one night when I couldn't sleep. It turns out Hope was born in 2004, NOT 2005, like her papers say she is." Ella said.

"What are you saying, Ella?"

"What I'm trying to say is that all of her paperwork is wrong," Ella said, getting out the research she had found on Hope For Tomorrow, "all Thoroughbreds turn a year old on January 1st, regardless of when their actual birthday is. So, if she's eight on May 4th, which is her actual birthday, and all Thoroughbreds turn one year older on January 1st, that means that Hope isn't seven, like everybody says she is. She's really-" Ella stopped when she felt herself hyperventilate. Javert called for Marius, who came running.

"What happened?" Marius asked Javert.

"We were talking about Hope when she started hyperventilating." Javert explained. Marius sat next to Ella and tried to get her to calm down.

"Shh, Ella. Calm down, sweet girl. It's all right," Marius soothed, gently rubbing Ella's back. He turned to Javert, "she gets these twice a year and they're scary when they happen."

"Should I be doing something?" Javert asked. Marius shook his head as Joly and Courfrayac came into the kitchen.

After a while, Ella calmed down and was asleep on the couch. Marius, Courfrayac, Joly and Javert were talking quietly.

Marius took Ella home, hoping that she would be all right.


	5. Time To Say Goodbye, part 1

CHAPTER FIVE  
(chapter title – Time To Say Goodbye, part 1)

_Three months later_

A horrible snowstorm was brewing outside as the Pontmercy's slept. The clock read 12:30 AM when Marius felt Cosette get out of bed and moan painfully.

"Cosette, dearest, are you all right?" Marius asked, sitting up in bed.

"My back is killing me and – ow!" Cosette yelped. Marius rushed over and looked at his wife. He kissed her forehead and felt something splash on his foot. He realized her water broke.

"Get back in bed and I'll call the doctor." Marius told Cosette, keeping his voice calm and gentle, even though he was panicking inside. He got a hold of Cosette's doctor and she assured Marius she was on her way. "She's on her way, love. She says to get you into the bathtub so it'll be easier."

Cosette nodded and followed Marius to the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Marius ran the water in the tub and filled it with six inches of water. He also made sure it was nice and cool while Cosette undressed. He then helped her into the tub and sang sweet songs to her until the doctor arrived.

By the time the doctor got to the house, the clock chimed 2:00 AM. Marius sat beside Cosette and held her while the doctor delivered the baby.

Ella woke up, realizing she had to pee. She went into the bathroom and saw her dad sitting on the floor, her mom naked and screaming and the doctor at her mom's front, coaxing and encouraging her.

"I'll just use your guys' bathroom, since you're using mine." Ella croaked as she walked to her parents bathroom. She emerged five minutes later and walked back to her room when her father called out to her. Ella stood in the doorway and watched for a while.

"Ella, come here, it's all right," Marius assured her as he looked over Cosette's shoulder. He turned to Cosette, "no sign of our son, yet, my love."

Three hours later, there was still no sign of the baby. Ella had gone back to bed while Marius and Cosette worked together to deliver their little boy.

"Do you think we should go to the hospital and I can perform a C-Section?" Dr. Carter asked. Marius shook his head and sipped his tea.

"How dilated is she?" Marius inquired.

"Fully," Dr. Carter answered, reaching a gloved hand between Cosette's legs. She screamed out in pain as the doctor did so. "Your little guy is just being stubborn, that's all. Cosette, I need you to take a deep breath and push for me on ten, okay?"

Cosette nodded as the doctor counted to ten. She sucked in some air and gently let it out.

"Good, good. His head is almost out!" The doctor exclaimed almost three hours later. Marius looked over Cosette's shoulder and saw a bubble appearing.

"You're doing great, Cosette." Marius praised. He kissed her temple and adjusted her in his arms.

"I am NEVER having sex with you again, Pontmercy!" Cosette growled.

"You're kidding, right?" Marius asked. Cosette glared at him.

"Marius, it's good not to talk right now so Cosette can focus." Dr. Carter told Marius as the rest of the baby entered the world. The doctor caught him before he could go into the water. Dr. Carter smiled at Cosette and turned the baby around so she could see him.

"He's so handsome!" Marius praised as the doctor cut the cord, exited the bathroom, weighed, measured and cleaned off the newest little arrival before handing him to Cosette. She was weak, but with Marius' help, was able to get out of the tub, put on some bottoms and go to the master bedroom.

The littlest Pontmercy let out a cry as he was placed in Cosette's arms.

"What's his name?" Dr. Carter asked as she packed up her things.

"We were thinking Anton Lucas." Marius whispered as he stroked Cosette's hair. Anton was nursing loudly and looked very content.

"He's perfect – 5 pounds, 14 ounces and is 17.9 inches long." Dr. Cater told Marius as she smiled at him.

Shortly after that, Dr. Carter left. Marius went into the nursery and saw Cosette sitting in the rocking chair, gently rocking Anton.

"Love, you should get some sleep. It's 4:15. I'll wake you if he needs anything," Marius told Cosette, kissing the top of her head. She nodded sleepily and handed Anton to Marius as she went to the master bedroom. Marius looked down at Anton and smiled at him, "my, what a handsome devil you are!"

Later that day, Marius, Anton and Cosette went to the hospital, since Cosette had a home birth. Dr. Carter had suggested it. Enjolras was happy to have Ella over so she could see Jolene, who was now six months old.

Everything checked out fine with Cosette and Anton and they were given the okay to go home.

Marius smiled and put Anton in his carseat when Cosette looked like she was going to faint. He caught her, put her in a wheelchair, got Anton out of his carseat and ran back to the hospital.

Cosette was instantly put in a hospital room and was hooked up to an IV, even though she wasn't dehydrated. Anton went to the nursery while Marius stayed by Cosette's side, hoping she would be fine.

"_Suddenly you're here  
Suddenly it starts  
Can two anxious hearts  
Beat as one?  
Yesterday, I was alone  
Today, you are beside me  
Something still unclear  
Something not yet here  
Has begun_." Marius sang to Cosette as he sat in the dark hospital room, praying for a miracle.

He called Enjolras to let him know what was happening. He told Marius that Ella was more than welcome to stay the night. Marius thanked his friend and hung up. He then called Jean Valjean to let him know about Cosette.

Jean said he would be on the next flight there, which was leaving that night at 8:00. Marius hoped he wasn't too late.


	6. Time To Say Goodbye, part 2

CHAPTER SIX  
(chapter title – Time To Say Goodbye, part 2)

Jean Valjean arrived at 10:00 that night and took a taxi to the hospital. He arrived twenty minutes later and was at Cosette's bedside ten minutes later.

"I'm here, Cosette." Valjean whispered, sitting on an unoccupied chair. He took Cosette's hand in his and looked around the room. He saw Marius, Ella, Courfrayac, Joly, Eponine and Sara.

"She's been waiting for you." Marius said, tears in his eyes. Valjean smiled at his son-in-law and turned his eyes back to Cosette.

"Papa." Cosette's voice was barely above a whisper. Valjean smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Let's give them some privacy." Eponine suggested, ushering everyone but Marius and Ella out of the room.

Cosette's breathing was nice and easy now. Her eyes were closed and she looked very content. Marius sat behind her on the bed while Valjean and Ella sat in hospital chairs not too far from where Cosette's feet were.

"How old are you now, Ella?" Valjean whispered. She held up ten fingers. "Practically a lady. I heard that you have a horse. Tell me about your horse."

Ella told him all about Hope, including her favorite treats (peppermints) and her new halter (purple and white).

Marius shot Ella a 'please stop talking now' glare as she continued to ramble. She stopped her rambling and Valjean smiled at her.

When her family members were asleep, the soft _beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep _rang throughout the room. Marius sat up and held Cosette as a nurse rushed in. Ella and Valjean were fast asleep, but quickly woke up when they heard the noise.

Valjean held Ella as she cried out for her mother. He stroked her hair and held her as nurses started chest compressions on Cosette. Marius transferred to the chair beside her bed and held her hand in his.

"Cosette, please wake up!" Marius pleaded. He saw a nurse take Cosette's pulse and shake her head. "NOOOOO! COSETTE!"

"Time of death – 11:45 PM." A nurse announced. Ella freed herself from Valjean's hold on her and rushed to her mother's bedside.

"Mama! No!" Ella wailed. She, along with Valjean and Marius cried, holding each other as Cosette was taken to the morgue.

* * *

_Three months later_

Marius, Courfrayac, Eponine, Enjolras and Joly were going through pictures of Cosette while Ella and Sara played silently nearby. Jolene and Anton were napping.

A rapping at the door made Marius look up. He went to answer it as all his friends – Combeferre, Bahorel, Feuilly and Jehan came through the door. Gavroche entered the house, too, looking much older than Marius remembered him. He had long blonde hair that was slicked back into a ponytail and stood a foot and a half taller than Eponine.

Her eyes filled with tears as she hugged her brother.

"Marius, we are so sorry for your loss." Combeferre told his dearest friend, hugging him, Enjolras, Courfrayac, Eponine and Joly.

Ella saw her dad's dearest friends enter the house and went to hug each one, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry about your mother, Ella." Feuilly told the young girl, hugging her close.

"Same with me. I loved Cosette – she was like a sister to me." Bahorel spoke up, also hugging Ella.

The new friends gathered around the table and looked at pictures of Cosette just as Grantaire entered the house. Marius stood and hugged him for the longest time.

"I am sorry, my dear friend," Grantaire told Marius as he broke out of the hug. He then turned to Ella, "Dear one. Your mother was the kindest creature I knew."

Ella felt new tears in her eyes as she hugged Grantaire. He looked over her shoulder and saw Sara with Gavroche and Eponine.

He walked over to talk with them as Ella excused herself and went to her room. She closed the door and flopped onto her bed, her body shaking with sobs.

Jehan found her and went to her bedside. He took her in his arms and held her for a long time.

"Your father is so lucky to have you and Anton to take care of," Jehan told Ella as she continued to cry. "Your mother is in a safe place, looking down at you. Someday, you will join her and the two of you will gossip and giggle at the littlest things."

Ella sat up and hugged him around the neck as he continued to soothe her.

Enjolras, Marius, Courfrayac, Joly, Combeferre, Bahorel, Feuilly, Gavroche and Grantaire entered Ella's room. Ella looked up at the men and knew she was safe.

After everyone left, Marius and Ella settled down on the couch to watch a movie. Marius got up to make more popcorn when there was a knock on the door.

Javert stood in the doorway, head bowed and an envelope in his hand.

"I am so sorry to hear about your wife," he told Marius. He then extended his hand and gave Marius the envelope, "it's for you, Ella and Anton."

"Thank you. Would you like to come in?" Marius asked. Javert nodded and saw Ella sitting on the couch. "We're watching Finding Nemo."

"I love that movie." Javert said, making himself comfortable in the armchair next to the couch. Marius handed Javert a bowl of popcorn before joining Ella on the couch.

"I'm going to put her to bed, I'll be right back." Marius told Javert when the movie finished.

"I'll do that." Javert offered when the monitor went off. Marius went to check on Anton while Javert put Ella to bed.

He placed her under the sheets and brought the blanket up to her chin. He made sure she had her favorite stuffed animal tucked under her arm before turning off the lights and exited the room, closing the door halfway behind him.

"You're a natural." Marius said, making Javert jump fifty feet in the air.

"I sometimes watched my niece, Sally, for my brother." Javert said, helping Marius put the popcorn away.

"So, how come you never married?" Marius asked.

"The right person never came along. I've tried dating, but no one seems interested in me," Javert answered. "How did you meet Cosette?"

"In high school. I wrestled, believe it or not, and she was a cheerleader. We met at a football game." Marius told Javert.

"A skinny little man like you, wrestle? I'm surprised you didn't get squashed like a bug." Javert teased. Marius smiled and took apart the popcorn maker.

"Would you like to spend the night? There's an extra bedroom at the end of the hall." Marius said.

"Oh. Thank you, but I didn't bring any clothes or toothbrush or anything."

"You look like you're the same size as my grandfather. I kept a couple of his things when he passed away two months ago," Marius said, his voice muffled. He emerged from his bedroom carrying extra clothes. "There's also an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. It's orange."

"Thank you, again." Javert said as Marius showed him the extra bedroom.

"Ella has school and then violin lessons. Anton has a doctor's appointment, which he cannot miss, then I'm going into work for a while. Can you manage watching Anton until I come home? It'll probably be before seven. When you get up in the morning, I'll go over things with you." Marius said.

Javert nodded, thanked Marius for the third time and got ready for bed. The toothbrush was exactly where Marius said it would be. He brushed his teeth and went back to the extra bedroom. He picked up the book on his bedside table – _The Red Pyramid _and began reading until he couldn't keep his eyes open. He turned off the lamp and instantly went to sleep.

* * *

A week later was Cosette's memorial service. Everyone dressed in their best black outfit and went to the church where the memorial service was being held.

Marius, Anton and Ella were the first ones to arrive. A daycare volunteer offered to watch Anton for the service and reception afterward. Marius thanked her and handed her Anton, along with his diaper bag.

Eponine, Sara, Enjolras and Jolene were the next ones to arrive. They signed the guest book before Enjolras handed Jolene to a daycare volunteer. Jolene and Anton were the only babies at the memorial service.

Following the Thenardier's were Jean Valjean, Courfrayac, Joly, Jehan, Combeferre, Bahorel, Feuilly, Grantaire and Gavroche, all of whom signed the guest book and took turns hugging Marius and Ella. Marius had asked Eponine, Enjolras, Ella, Jehan, Courfrayac, Joly and Grantaire to speak, since they knew Cosette the best. Marius would be giving the eulogy.

As everyone took their seats for the memorial service, Marius saw Javert sneak in the back. Marius smiled at Javert as he turned the other way.

The priest stood and thanked everyone for gathering on such a beautiful day. She went on to say that there would be a reception following the service. She then led the congregation in a prayer before the first hymn was sung. During that time, Eponine, Enjolras, Ella and Jehan sat on the chairs behind the pulpit.

Enjolras took the stage first and got out his note cards, placing them in front of him.

"Good afternoon. I am Raphael Enjolras-Thenardier, but I go by Enjolras. I had the pleasure of meeting Cosette when my best friend, Marius, would not shut up about this girl he met. She was pretty, popular, sweet as ice cream and loved everyone. She wasn't mean to anyone, or if she was, she didn't show it.

She was a cheerleader, sang in the chorus, had almost all the leads in the musicals, started a book club at school, played field hockey, ran cross country, was on a nationally ranked bowling team and still had time for friends and family.

When she was expecting her daughter, she asked me to go with her to an appointment when Marius had to work and couldn't get out of working. I knew when she was ready to be a mother when she and I heard Ella's heartbeat for the first time. Her eyes welled up with tears and she looked up at me, a huge smile on her face.

Blessed be this wonderful mother, wife and friend. She will be missed by all." Enjolras said, blinking tears out of his eyes. He took his seat as Eponine came to the pulpit.

"I'm Eponine and I would like to tell you about my best friend and sister, Cosette.

I first met her in high school when we did cheerleading together. I thought she would be one of those stuck-up 'think-they-know-everything', mean, stupid cheerleaders, but she was one of the friendliest, kindest, funniest, sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

She was actually the one to introduce me to my husband, Enjolras. He was the one to introduce her to Marius.

Cosette became my sister when both my parents died when I was a sophomore in high school. I had no other living relatives, except my brother, Gavroche. Both she and her father took us in as if we were members of the family.

She and I never fought or argued, something that Gavroche and I did often. When we would fight, Cosette came between us and thought of a positive way for us to work things out," Eponine paused to wipe the tears out of her eyes. "I will miss her so much and I hope she is listening to all the kind words people are saying."

She cried as she took her seat next to Enjolras. He rubbed her back as another hymn was sung. When the last word of the hymn was sung, Ella walked to the pulpit and read from her note cards.

"Hi. I'm Ella Fantine Pontmercy and the oldest child of Marius and Cosette Pontmercy. I'm also older sister to Anton Pontmercy.

My mom was – and still is – my hero. No matter what stupid thing I did, she wouldn't punish or hit me. She was always so positive about everything, even when she was depressed about something. She would push through her depression and do all sorts of fun things with me.

She loved horses, like I did, and before I got my own horse, she and I would go riding almost every day at my uncle Courfrayac and uncle Joly's barn. She rode horses with such grace and elegance, she could've been a professional Dressage rider. Instead, she decided to stay home and take care of my brother and myself.

Like most people, my mom loved cooking. She would cook the most amazing foods from apple pie to zucchini pasta, she could make it all without a recipe. I loved helping my mom in the kitchen – we would listen to music or sometimes sing. She loved musicals so we would mostly sing something from a musical.

I will miss our special time together and I really don't understand why God took her from me. I miss her so much and can't wait to see her again." Ella then exited the pulpit and leapt into her father's arms, nearly knocking him backwards. He regained his balance and held Ella as she cried.

"Are you going to be able to play your violin?" Marius asked. Ella nodded, straightened up and went to the small side stage to play her mother's favorite song Suddenly. Jean Valjean smiled and nodded his head in time to the music.

Once Ella finished playing the piece, she went to sit down as Grantaire took the stage. He read a beautiful poem he wrote called Wild Geese. As he read the last word, he looked up and saw not a dry eye in the room. He took his seat as Courfrayac went to the pulpit.

"Everything that has been said so far is true," he started, looking at the picture of Cosette that sat on an easel next to the pulpit, "she was kind, generous, positive, loved everyone, loved musicals and had wonderful cooking skills. She was also generous, helpful, sweet as honey, had a wonderful sense of humor and was both a loving wife and mother.

Marius, Ella and Anton are the luckiest people alive because Cosette loved each of them dearly and would from now until the end of eternity." He looked back at the picture and went to sit down.

A prayer was said before Joly walked to the pulpit. He told a funny story about a date that Cosette and Marius went on that Marius found slightly embarrassing – ice skating. Cosette was a natural as soon as her feet touched the ice. Marius, however, was like Bambi when he saw winter and ice for the first time. Cosette skated circles around Marius while he clung to the wall.

Cosette took Marius' hands in hers and together, they glided across the ice, moving as one.

When he finished, people were snickering, one of them being Marius. He smiled, remembering the date exactly.

Joly exited the stage as a hymn was sung. Courfrayac, Ella, Eponine, Grantaire and Enjolras filed off the stage and took their seats as Jehan and Marius took empty seats behind the pulpit.

Jehan waited until the music finished before looking at the notes in front of him.

"I found this reading a couple nights ago and thought it would be perfect for Cosette," he started, pushing his glasses further up his nose, "Your mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street. She's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick, the fragrance of life itself. She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well. She's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She's the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is Christmas morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter. She's the place you came from, your first home and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you not time, not space…not even death."

He saw people dabbing their eyes as he took his seat next to Feuilly. The other man squeezed his hand as Feuilly wiped away his tears.

Marius took the pulpit and looked out into the audience. He placed his hands on either side of it and glanced at his notes.

"Cosette Fantine Valjean-Pontmercy was born on September 16th, 1982 and died on December 22nd, 2013. She was thirty-three years old.

In her thirty-three years, she gave, lived and cherished life to its fullest. She was the sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day, the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw when I went to bed at night. She was the light in the darkness and a friend to everyone.

One of the many things I loved about her was her upbeat and positive nature. She was never mean to anyone and never punished Ella.

Cosette and our two kids – Anton and Ella – mean the whole world to me. There's not a day that goes by I don't think about Cosette. I swear there's some days I can feel her warmth and strength.

God love you, Cosette, and so do I." Marius had more to say about Cosette, but the pages were getting blurry. He exited the pulpit and went to sit down.

The priest said a few closing words before Jean Valjean got up and went to the mic stand on the small stage. He then sang Suddenly, with the help of the accompanist. Marius and Ella went to the back of the social hall and waited for the music to stop.

Everyone got out of their seats and started the procession line. Many people told Marius and Ella how sorry they were that Cosette had left them. Marius thanked them, shook their hands and smiled at the people leaving the social hall.

The only people that Marius hugged were Javert, Jean Valjean, Eponine, Enjolras, Jehan, Joly, Courfrayac, Grantaire, Sara, Prouvaire, Bahorel, Gavroche and Combeferre. He also hugged Ella, of course.

There was a reception that followed afterward in the large room off the social hall. Food and beverages were served.

Marius couldn't take his eyes off the three picture boards that he, Enjolras, Courfrayac, Joly, Eponine and Grantaire had put together.

On one board, there were pictures of Cosette as a young girl and teenager. The middle board consisted of pictures of Cosette as a young adult and the last board had pictures of Cosette, Marius, Ella and Anton.

He was looking at the last board, feeling tears sting the back of his eyes. The picture he was looking at was a black and white photograph of Cosette holding then a two-day-old Ella. Cosette was looking down at Ella while Marius rested his forehead on Ella's. It was his favorite photograph.

"What a beautiful picture. Who took it?" Javert's voice startled Marius.

"Enjolras." Marius answered, not taking his gaze away for one minute.

The reception lasted for an hour, which was fine with Marius. He went to get Anton from the church daycare, thanking the volunteer who had watched both him and Jolene.

Javert followed Ella and Marius to their car and helped Marius with the carseat. Anton was fast asleep and looked like an angel. Ella was out like a light as soon as the engine roared to life.

"Let me know if you need anything." Javert told Marius. He nodded and promised Javert he would before taking off.

As Marius fell asleep that night, he dreamt that Cosette was in a better place, watching over him, Ella and Anton.


	7. Reflections

CHAPTER SEVEN  
(chapter title – Reflections)

_Cosette Pontmercy looked down at her two-day-old daughter. She was so beautiful and perfect. Currently, she was nursing and Cosette was watching her._

"_Hi," Marius whispered, entering the room. He kissed the top of Cosette's head and looked at his little one, "how's she doing?"_

"_She's good, extremely hungry, though." Cosette answered as the baby finished nursing._

"_Have you thought of a name yet?" Marius asked._

"_I was thinking you should name her." Cosette said, gently burping her daughter before handing her to Marius._

"_Welcome to the world Ella Fantine Pontmercy. I love you so much." Marius whispered to his daughter. She opened her eyes and stared up at Marius._

"_I think she likes that name." Cosette whispered as Marius put her in her incubator and closed the lid. He was about to get in behind Cosette when Enjolras entered the room._

"_Eponine had our baby – a little girl." Enjolras told the couple._

"_We had a little girl, too, a couple days ago." Marius told Enjolras._

"_How's Eponine feeling?" Cosette inquired._

"_She's extremely tired, but doing well," Enjolras answered, going over to the incubator that Ella was in. "What's the name of your precious one?"_

"_Ella Fantine. What about your little girl?" Cosette asked, resting her head against Marius' shoulder._

"_Serephina Ashlyn." Enjolras answered._

"_Enjolras, could you do me a favor?" Marius questioned as he got Ella out of her incubator. "Would you be willing to take a picture of Cosette, Ella and myself?"_

_Enjolras nodded and Marius instructed how to operate the camera._

"_I will love both of you forever." Marius whispered in Cosette's ear as Enjolras took the picture. Enjolras smiled and looked at the happy family._

* * *

"_I feel rather foolish doing this." Marius told Cosette as he put on a pair of ice skates. Cosette smiled at him and laced up her own skates. _

"_You'll be fine. Don't be such a baby!" Cosette teased as she stepped onto the ice. She instantly did insane tricks and spins. Marius stared at her in amazement._

"_How on earth?" Marius questioned, his green eyes nearly popping out of his head. Cosette smiled and came over to him._

"_My mom was an ice skating coach. She died two years ago." Cosette told Marius._

"_I-I'm so sorry." Marius apologized._

"_It's all right. Just me and my dad now," Cosette said, blinking tears out of her beautiful blue eyes. "Marius, come on! It's fun!"_

_Marius stepped onto the ice and clung to the rail. Cosette skated over and showed him how to skate. He got the hang of it for a while before falling backwards onto his butt. Cosette giggled and helped him up._

"_If you feel like you're going to fall, put your hands out behind you, but not too far." Cosette instructed as she skated circles around Marius._

"_I can't believe you're doing that!" Marius marveled. He tried skating in a circle and instantly fell again. He put his hand to his mouth and pulled his hand away – there was some blood. "Ow!"_

"_I've gotten worse than that, trust me." Cosette said, holding her arms out for him. _

_The two of them skated for an hour before Cosette said she had to go. The two of them put on their shoes and walked up the stairs, hand-in-hand._

_They stopped for ice cream on the way home, which Marius paid for. Cosette had chocolate crumble and Marius had double fudge birthday cake._

"_So, you're a chocolate lover, too, huh?" Cosette asked as she ate her ice cream. Marius nodded._

"_If I could live on one food for an entire month, it would be chocolate." Marius answered, taking a bite. "Would you like some?"_

"_No, thank you. So, what do you plan on doing in the future?"_

"_I was thinking of going to law school."_

"_You would make an excellent lawyer."_

"_Really? I mean, I've always been interested in debate and politics."_

"_What kind of law would you want to study?"_

"_I want to study anything really. I love all sorts of law."_

"_What about getting married or having children?"_

"_I want to get married someday. I also want kids. I'm sorry – I'm talking about myself. What do you want to do in the future?"_

"_I'm not sure yet. Maybe be a lawyer's wife."_

"_A what? – oh!"_

_Cosette giggled as she finished the last of her ice cream. Marius threw their containers away before opening the door for her._

_The two of them drove back to Cosette's place, where Marius walked her to the door._

"_This is a huge house." Marius remarked._

"_It's been in our family for six generations. It's lovely inside. Want to come in?"_

"_I wish I could, but I should be going."_

"_Okay. I had a great time today."_

"_I did, too."_

_Marius leaned in and kissed Cosette. She smiled against his lips and kissed him back._

_He knew she was the girl of his dreams._

* * *

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Moments so dear  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure, measure a year?_" Cosette sang. She and Marius were doing karaoke and they just happened to have one of Cosette's favorite songs._

_She finished singing and went to sit with Marius. He kissed her forehead and looked into her beautiful eyes. He was in the community theater's production of _RENT _and had managed to get the cast, himself included, to sing Will You Marry Me to the tune of Seasons of Love._

"_Darling, I have a surprise for you." Marius told Cosette as she took a sip of her soda. She raised an eyebrow as he led her out of the karaoke bar._

"_What is it?" Cosette asked, as Marius placed his hands over her eyes._

"Dearest Cosette, I love you so much  
Dearest Cosette, I think you do, too  
Dearest Cosette, I know you love me  
Dearest Cosette, I love you, too.

I love you in the morning, I love you in the evening  
I love you even when you stumble and fall  
So, dearest Cosette, I have a big question  
Will you come with me to the mall?

To pick out an engagement ring  
To pick out an engagement ring  
To pick out an engagement ring  
I cannot wait to hear you sing  
When I ask will you marry me?" _a chorus of voices greeted Cosette's ears, even Marius'. He got down on one knee, in the snow, in the cold and presented Cosette with an empty box._

"_I was thinking we could pick it out together," Marius told her, as she smiled at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What do you say, Cosette Fantine Valjean – will you marry me?"_

_Cosette didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded and threw her arms around Marius' neck as he stood up. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Marius was thrown a little off guard, but kissed her back just as passionate._

* * *

"_I don't understand it. I was certain I would make a good mom." Cosette cried as she leaned back against Marius. This was her second early delivery. She had three miscarriages and two early deliveries._

"_There are other options, dearest." Marius told Cosette. She shook her head as tears tumbled down her cheeks._

"_No! I am not giving up just yet!" Cosette yelled. Marius rubbed her back and watched as the doctor took the dead baby away._

_A year later, they decided to try again._

"_Are you sure, darling?" Marius asked. Cosette nodded and showed him the pee stick – it was positive._

"_I don't want to tell anyone until I'm at least larger than I am now." Cosette answered. Marius nodded in agreement._

_The two of them made a doctor's appointment for that afternoon at 2:00. Eponine was four weeks along with her first baby. Cosette and Marius couldn't be happier for their friend._

_The doctor was a woman doctor named Dr. Carter. She was extremely friendly and kind._

"_Well, Cosette, it turns out you are expecting. You're about four weeks along." Dr. Carter told Cosette as she removed her gloves and threw them away._

"_My best friend, Eponine, is four weeks along, too." Cosette told the doctor. She smiled and handed the Pontmercy's brochures on OBGYNs, Lamaze classes and other baby-related things that the young couple should know._

_When Cosette was six months along, she found out she was expecting a girl – same as Eponine._

"_What shall we call our daughter, honey?" Cosette asked as Marius gave her a foot rub that night._

"_I've always liked the name Ella." Marius answered._

"_That is beautiful." Cosette said._

"_What about you? Are there any names that you like?" Marius inquired._

"_I've always liked Belle, Fantine, Angelique, Dominique and Ami." Cosette listed off her favorite names._

"_I have the perfect name," Marius announced after a while, "Ella Fantine Pontmercy."_

"_I love that!" Cosette said, placing a kiss on her husband's cheek. _

"_I cannot wait to meet you Ella Fantine." Marius told Cosette's stomach. Cosette smiled and felt Ella kick her._

"_I think she likes her new name." Cosette told Marius, feeling him climb in next to her._

"_I think she does, too." Marius said, drawing Cosette closer to him._

* * *

_Cosette looked at herself one last time in the full-length mirror. She was wearing the gown of her dreams on the biggest day of her life._

"_Did you really have to pick pink for the bridesmaids dresses? I hate pink – I don't know how I can express my hatred for the color pink!" Eponine ranted, helping Cosette pin flowers in her hair._

"_Shush, 'Ponine. You, Carly, Emma, Heather, Liz, Sophie and Amanda look wonderful." Cosette told her best friend and Maid of Honor._

"_Cosette, you look absolutely beautiful!" Valjean said as he entered the room._

"_Thank you, Papa. Do you think mother would love it?" Cosette asked._

"_I think your mother would love to see you in her gown – it was her dream." Valjean told Cosette, kissing her cheek._

_The dress was made out of white satin and had a corset that laced up the back. It also had flowers and leaves etched in silver thread, but not enough so that someone could see it. It was also sleeveless, although Cosette wore a white sweater over it, since the air conditioning church made the room cold._

_Her train was six feet long and she wore flowers in her hair. The train attached to a silver tiara that held Cosette's French knot in place. She didn't want a veil, even though it was tradition._

_On her feet, she wore silver slippers, which were very comfortable. _

_She wore little jewelry – just her engagement ring and diamond earrings and necklace._

"_Are you ready?" Valjean asked his daughter. She nodded and took his arm._

_The wedding march played as Cosette and Valjean made their way down the aisle. Marius and his groomsmen – Enjolras (who served as Best Man), Courfrayac, Joly, Combeferre, Jehan, Feuilly and Bahorel – stood in a straight line._

_She also saw her bridesmaids – Eponine (who was Maid of Honor), Carly, Emma, Liz, Sophie, Heather and Amanda – standing on the other side of the men, looking beautiful in their pink tea dresses._

_Valjean gave Cosette's arm to Marius, who kissed her cheek and led her to the alter._

"_You look very beautiful." Marius whispered in Cosette's ear._

"_Thank you. You look quite handsome." Cosette whispered back._

_The couple exchanged rings, vows and a kiss or two before saying their I Do's._

"_By the power vested in me – I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Marius Pontmercy. You may kiss the bride." The priest told Marius. He kissed Cosette's lips as she put her hands behind his neck, also returning the kiss._

_The two of them went back down the aisle, hand in hand, followed by their bridesmaids and groomsmen._

_They went to Paris, France for their four-month-long honeymoon._

* * *

_Five-year-old Ella was playing with some toys when she felt she couldn't breathe. Cosette, who had been sitting on the couch, watching Ella play, got down to Ella's level._

"_Ella, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Cosette asked as Marius came out of the master bedroom, all dressed for work._

"_Cosette, what's wrong?" Marius inquired._

"_She can't breathe!" Cosette yelled._

"_Don't yell – you're scaring her," Marius told Cosette. He turned to Ella, "Sweet girl, it's all right. Just take some nice even big breaths for me. Can you do that?"_

_Ella nodded and took some big breaths as Marius rubbed her back in a circular motion while Cosette watched, tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_You okay?" Marius asked Ella once she calmed down. She nodded and signed 'water'. Ella had been nonverbal for a while, but Feuilly, who was a speech therapist, came over and worked with Ella mostly every day._

"_I'll get her some," Cosette offered, going to the kitchen and got a glass of water for Ella. She drank half the glass and signed 'thank you'. "You're welcome, baby." _

_Ella had another panic attack a month later. This one was scarier than the first. The doctor told Ella to calm down, but that only made her freak out more. Marius sang You Are My Sunshine and My Girl as Ella had her attack._

_She calmed down and fell asleep in Marius' arms._

"_When was the last panic attack she had?" the doctor asked._

"_About a month ago." Cosette answered, stroking Ella's hair._

"_What was she doing when she had the first attack?" the doctor questioned._

"_She was playing with some toys, then she couldn't breathe." Marius answered._

_The doctor asked Marius and Cosette more questions, all of which they responded honestly._

_Once it seemed like Ella was okay, Marius and Cosette took her home._

"_I wish I knew what caused these attacks." Marius whispered as he put Ella in her booster seat._

"_I do, too." Cosette whispered back as she climbed in the passenger seat._

_On the way home, Marius thought he heard Ella say, 'daddy'. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw Ella looking out the window saying 'daddy'._

"_Cosette? Do you hear that?" Marius whispered._

"_What?" Cosette asked._

"_Listen."_

"_Daddy, daddy, mommy, cookie, horsey, doggy, kitty, baby." Ella sang happily._

_Cosette and Marius felt tears in their eyes, happy that their little one was finally talking._


	8. Ella's First Punishment

CHAPTER EIGHT  
(chapter title – Ella's First Punishment)

_A year later_

"That's it, everyone, keep cantering." Cassidy Davis instructed the class of five kids in front of her.

"Ella, give Hope her head a bit. That's it." Cassidy told the eleven-year-old. Ella smiled at Cassidy, not looking anywhere else other than where she wanted Hope to go.

Class was over fifteen minutes later. Ella dismounted Hope and cooled her down as her dad entered the ring.

"You look very professional out there." Marius told Ella.

"Thanks dad. I better get her cooled down. I'll be right back," Ella told Marius. She then turned to Hope, "come on you big monster. Let's get you cooled down."

Marius watched Ella cool down Hope when someone caught his eye.

A woman in her early thirties was staring back at him. She had shoulder-length straight brown hair, big brown eyes that were hidden behind glasses with purple frames. She also had olive-colored skin and stood about 5'7.

She wore a yellow T-shirt with 'Standing On the Side of Love' on it in black letters, worn out jeans with small rips everywhere and black rubber knee-high riding boots.

"Hi." The woman greeted Marius as she walked over to him, her voice like honey.

"Hello." Marius greeted her back, feeling his heart race faster.

"Hi dad!" Ella greeted her dad. She then turned to Cassidy. "Cassidy, this is my dad, Marius. Dad, this is Cassidy Davis – my friend and horseback riding instructor."

"It's nice to meet you, Marius," Cassidy said, shaking Marius' hand. He noticed her palms had calluses on them, but he didn't say anything. She then turned to Ella, "Looks like you and Hope are ready for the horse show at the end of the week."

"Awesome! I can't wait! Hope is doing wonderfully." Ella told Cassidy.

"Yeah, she really is. You put a lot of hard work and dedication into your riding and I can tell." Cassidy told Ella. Marius saw Ella smile broadly.

"Well, kiddo, we better go if we're gonna make Sara's birthday party," Marius told Ella, turning back to Cassidy, "It was wonderful to meet you."

"It wa nice to meet you, too, Mr. Pontmercy." Cassidy told Marius.

"Um, you can call me Marius, if you want," Marius said, handing her a business card with his work, cell and home phone numbers on the back of it. "In case you want to go out sometime." He then saw her T-shirt. "Oh, are you – lesbian?"

"What?" Cassidy asked, looking at her shirt. "No, I'm straight, but I have friends and family members who are gay and lesbian. I wear this shirt to support them."

"I actually have four best friends who are gay." Marius said, feeling like a big idiot.

"I would love to stay and talk, but I have another class starting in ten minutes. I would love to go out sometime so we can chat some more." Cassidy told Marius, smiling at him.

"Dad's got a girlfriend! Dad's got a girlfriend!" Ella sang in a teasing tone.

"Ella, she's not my girlfriend!" Marius told his daughter.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Ella asked.

"Not prettier than your mom. Plus, it's too soon." Marius answered, keeping his eyes on the road.

"It's been a year since she died, dad. You should have her over for dinner. I'll keep Anton in my room and we'll play or something." Ella told Marius.

"I'll have you two go over to the Thenardier's." Marius told Ella. She squeaked happily.

Soon, they were at the Thenardier's. Ella retrieved the present for Sara as she and Marius walked to the door.

"Don't say anything about riding. Sara may not be into it anymore, but it still hurts when someone brags." Marius reminded Ella as he rang the doorbell.

"I won't say anything, dad, sheesh!" Ella mumbled as Eponine opened the door, Jolene wailing in her arms.

"Hi! Come on in!" Eponine yelled over the screaming kids. The two of them made their way into the house and saw Sara running around with three of her friends. "Ruth! Sara! Charlotte! Taylor! Enough running!"

Sara stopped running when she saw Ella. She ran over to Ella and gave her a big hug as Marius put Ella's present on the present table.

"Marius, would you like to stay?" Enjolras asked.

"I would love to, but I have some business to attend to," Marius answered, he then turned to Ella, "I'll pick you up at six, okay?"

"Okay, dad! Love you!" Ella shouted over her shoulder as Sara dragged her over to play.

Everything was going well until Sara, Ruth, Charlotte and Taylor wanted to play a board game that was for only four people. Ella was sitting at the counter having some milk and Oreo's, since she didn't like the flavor of cake that Sara had.

"She's such a dweeb!" Charlotte giggled, looking at Ella.

"Even her name is weird!" Taylor whispered in Ruth's ear.

Ella came over and joined them.

"Sorry, but this game is only for four people." Ruth said rather rudely.

"Guys, we can play another game." Sara told her friends.

"No! We're already in the middle of this one!" Taylor said.

"It's okay – I can wait." Ella said, watching them play.

"Do you mind? You're in my way!" Charlotte told Ella, pushing her out of the way. She knocked the back of her head on the game cupboard and put a hand to her head – there wasn't any blood, but it still hurt.

"Aww, what's the baby gonna do? Cry about it?" Ruth taunted as Ella bit her lip to keep from crying.

"Come on guys, leave her alone!" Sara told her friends before turning to Ella. "You okay?"

Ella nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Sara pulled her best friend into a hug and let her cry.

"I don't understand why you spend all your time with her – you have nothing in common!" Taylor said.

Enjolras watched the scene in front of him. He motioned Ella over and gave her a hug.

"I'm so sorry. Can I see your head?" he asked. Ella nodded as more tears streamed down her cheeks. He found a flashlight and put the beam to where Ella had bumped it. "There's gonna be a bump there. Would you like some frozen peas?"

Ella nodded and sat on a barstool as Sara came over.

"Why aren't you with your friends?" Ella croaked as she put a bag of frozen peas to her head.

"You're my best friend and I'm going to stay with you." Sara answered.

After Ella had put the frozen peas on her head for a while, it was time for pizza. She ate a slice and sat at a table by herself.

"Hey. Can I sit with you?" Enjolras asked. Ella shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare at her pizza. He rubbed her back and pulled her closer to him. "It'll be okay."

"Actually, I think I want to go home." Ella told Enjolras.

"Are you sure?" Enjolras inquired. "Can you give it a little more time?"

Ella nodded and leaned against Enjolras. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

After pizza, it was time for presents. Sara smiled and patted the spot next to her. Ella started to go over when Charlotte got there first.

"Charlotte, stop!" Sara commanded. Ella smiled and sat next to Sara.

Sara received a dolls from Charlotte and Ruth, a board game from Taylor and a model horse that Sara had always wanted from Ella.

"Thank you so much, Ella! He's beautiful!" Sara told her best friend as she got the horse out of the box.

"Thanks. I knew you would like it." Ella told her best friend.

The five girls were playing the new game that Taylor got Sara when Marius came.

"Hold on, dad! I'm winning!" Ella told Marius.

"Ella, I have a dinner meeting. I need you to come home." Marius said.

"She and Anton can stay the night. It's all right." Eponine told Marius.

"But I didn't bring anything to change into!" Ella said.

"You can borrow one of my sleep shirts and an extra toothbrush." Sara told Ella.

Marius kissed Ella on the forehead as he placed Anton into Enjolras' arms. Anton was a year old and looked exactly like Marius. Enjolras placed Anton in the nursery while Eponine got Jolene ready for bed.

"Behave yourself, all right?" Marius told Ella.

"I will dad!" Ella promised her father, kissing his cheek.

Sara and Ella went to Sara's room, giggling like maniacs.

Ella's smile turned to a frown when she saw Taylor, Charlotte and Ruth in Sara's room.

_Great _she thought _they're going to make fun of me again_.

"Ella, I don't think you've been properly introduced," Sara started. Ella rolled her eyes, "the girl with the blond hair is Charlotte, the girl with red hair is Taylor and the brunette is Ruth. You guys, this is 'my-very-very-best-friend-until-the-day-I-die', Ella."

"Hi." All three girls chorused. Sara handed Ella a sleep shirt with a running black horse on it. She closed the door and stood against it.

"_I can't believe you're friends with such a dweeb_!" Taylor's muffled voice greeted Ella's ears.

"_Stop calling her a dweeb and making fun of her. She's my best friend_!" Sara's voice came through the door.

"_You two have nothing in common! And how did you like her horse figurine she gave you? It was _so _ugly_!" Charlotte said in a snobby tone.

"_I thought it was pretty, but she could have gotten you a decent present_." Ruth said.

"_She's not rich like you guys, so lay off or I'll tell my dad to send you home_!" Sara threatened. Ella smiled and went to the bathroom to change.

When she came back to Sara's room, all the girls but Sara were glaring at her. Ella smiled and went to join Sara on her bed.

"We're gonna play a game first before we go to bed," Charlotte announced. Ella gulped, not liking where this was headed, "the game is called Truth or Dare!"

Ella rolled her eyes – she hated this game with a passion.

Charlotte looked to Ella, who was playing with Sara's hair.

"Since I chose the game, I'll pick first!" Charlotte announced, zoning in on Ella, "Ella, I choose you! Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, I guess, but I really hate this game!" Ella complained.

"Shush! I dare you to…" Charlotte thought for a moment, "prank call someone!"

"Who?" Ella asked as Sara got the phone book.

"Just the first person you come to." Charlotte said, grinning evilly.

Sara opened the phone book to the white pages, closed her eyes and scrolled down the list of names. Her finger stopped at Cassidy Davis – her friend and horseback riding instructor. She felt her stomach turn inside out.

"Oh, I can't do this person! She's a friend of mine!" Ella pleaded. Charlotte looked over Ella's shoulder.

"You have to!" Charlotte said, handing her Sara's phone shaped like a purple Converse sneaker. "Ask her if her refrigerator is running."

With shaking fingers, Ella called Cassidy's number.

"Hello?" Cassidy croaked.

"I-Is your refrigerator running?" Ella asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes."

"T-Then you better go c-catch i-i-it." Ella said, quickly hanging up the phone.

Charlotte, Ruth and Taylor burst out laughing. Sara looked disapprovingly at her best friend. Ella found a spot on the bed and curled into a ball.

Just then the phone rang. All the girls stared at each other as Enjolras entered the room.

"Did one of you just call Cassidy Davis and ask if her – what did you say – refrigerator is running?" Enjolras asked.

Everyone's eyes, except Sara's, went to Ella.

"It was me, dad." Sara confessed.

"I'll deal with you in the morning," Enjolras told Sara. He then put the phone back to his ear, "it was my daughter. I'm extremely sorry…Uh huh…Uh huh…I'll make a note of that. Thank you."

He glared at Sara and Ella as he exited the room. He then turned off the light and closed the door.

Sara and Ella shared Sara's bed while Charlotte, Ruth and Taylor slept on the floor.

"I got you in trouble – I'm really sorry." Ella apologized.

"It's all right. I'll tell dad the truth in the morning." Sara told her best friend.

"What if we can't see each other again for the rest of our lives?" Ella whispered. She felt Sara hug her in the dark.

"I would go to the ends of the Earth if I have to in order to be with you." Sara whispered in Ella's ear. Ella looked over at her best friend, a little confused.

The two of them talked some more before falling asleep.

The next morning, the girls entered the kitchen and saw Enjolras standing there, glaring at them.

"Would Charlotte, Ruth and Taylor go to Sara's room and get your belongings, please?" Enjolras asked. The girls nodded and exited the kitchen. He then rounded on Sara and Ella. Ella felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Sara, you know we have caller ID. Cassidy said that the voice on the other line sounded an awful lot like Ella's."

"Dad, it was a Dare. Charlotte dared Ella to prank call Cassidy." Sara spoke up. Ella felt tears in her eyes as Eponine entered the kitchen, carrying Anton. He was dressed and alert.

"Ella, your dad is on his way to get you and your brother. I told him what you did and he sounds furious," Enjolras told Ella. "I want you to get dressed and sit in the front room and wait for him."

"Enjolras, I'm sorry!" Ella hiccoughed. He glared at her as she went to Sara's room to get her belongings and change in the bathroom.

Charlotte, Ruth and Taylor looked apologetically at Ella as she found her belongings.

"I'm in trouble because of you!" Ella shouted at Charlotte. She exited the room and went to the front room to wait for Marius.

He arrived ten minutes later and got out of the car, a furious look on his face. Eponine helped put Anton in his carseat while Marius glared at Ella.

"Get in the car – now!" he fumed. Ella did as she was told. He backed up the driveway and clenched the steering wheel, making his knuckles turn white. "Ella Fantine Pontmercy – I am very disappointed in you!"

"Dad! It was a Dare!" Ella spoke up, feeling a lump form in her throat.

"I don't care! You may have ruined my relationship with Cassidy!" Marius yelled. Ella felt tears stream down her cheeks. "I hate to have to say it, but no riding or horses for a month."

"But dad!-" Ella protested.

"I'm not finished!" Marius exclaimed, lowering his voice – Anton was beginning to cry. "In that month, you will do extra chores around the house. You will also write Cassidy a letter of apology."

"Dad! That's not fair!" Ella said, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"One final thing – you will not see Sara the entire month of your punishment." Marius said. Ella felt her jaw drop to the ground.

"What about at school?" Sara asked.

"I have told Enjolras that the two of you are not to see each other at school." Marius stated.

"I hate you!" Ella muttered under her breath.

"Tomorrow, I will make a list of chores for you to do while I'm at work and Anton is at daycare." Marius told Ella as they entered the house.

Ella rolled her eyes and stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her. She then threw herself on her bed and sobbed loudly.

After a while, Marius entered her room. He sat down next to her, but she moved away. He reached out to touch her and she glared at him.

"Why did you take the dare in the first place?" Marius asked, his voice calmer now.

"Charlotte dared me to." Ella muttered into her pillow.

"If she dared you to jump off a bridge, would you?" Marius asked.

"No, I wouldn't. Please leave me alone." Ella told her father.

"No – I want to understand why you did a thing like that." Marius said.

"It was a stupid dare! I didn't want to play Truth or Dare! It's such a lame, dumb, stupid game!" Ella yelled.

"Don't raise that tone with me, young lady!" Marius warned. "If it is – as you said – a lame, dumb, stupid game – then why did you go along with it?"

"I don't know!" Ella answered, fresh tears in her eyes.

"I honestly don't know what to do. Cassidy won't return my calls – I think you may have ruined our relationship." Marius said after a while.

Ella's heart stopped in her chest. She didn't mean for what she did to go as far as ruining her father's relationship.

"I'm also thinking that you should sell Hope." Marius told Ella.

"No, dad!" Ella protested as tears ran down her cheeks. "I have the horse show at the end of the week!"

"Well, I said no horses for a month, so I guess you're going to miss the show." Marius told Ella.

"I'll run away to uncle Courfrayac and uncle Joly's place if you make me sell her!" Ella told Marius.

He exited the room and came back with a laundry basket.

"Put everything horse related in here. You will get it back at the end of the month." Marius told Ella, his voice a little calmer.

He watched Ella take down her horse posters, calendar and drawings and put them in the basket. She cried as she handed over her horse stuffed animals, figurines, books, movies, clothes and anything else horse related.

Ella took her shower, letting the warm water run over her for a while. She then put on an old NSYNC sleep shirt and a pair of boxer shorts before braiding her hair into pigtails.

"There's some food in the fridge, if you want some." Marius told his daughter.

"Not hungry!" Ella told him, going to her room and closed the door.

Marius sighed as he slumped in his favorite armchair. He put his head in his hands and groaned.

_Don't be mad at her, Marius. She was just being a child and having fun with her friends. _Cosette's kind and warm voice came from the couch next to the armchair. Marius looked up and saw the spirit of Cosette sitting on the couch. He had to rub his eyes a few times, but the spirit/ghost/whatever the hell it was didn't go away.

"I wish you were still alive. I lost my temper and now, our daughter hates me!" Marius told the spirit.

_Our daughter will never hate you, dearest. She's a child._

"She's eleven-years-old." Marius replied.

_And Cassidy will forgive you. I know she will._

"What if she doesn't?" Marius inquired, feeling rather stupid for talking to a spirit/ghost/illusion/dream.

_Then she's not the right one for you. There are plenty of other women out there who will love you as much as I do._

"Tell me what to do about Ella. I told her no horses for a month-" Marius started when Cosette shot him a death glare. "What?"

_Do you think that was such a wise idea? You can't take away the thing she loves most in the world. She'll only resent you when she's older._

"What I did was harsh, huh?" Marius asked, his voice softening.

_I think it was. Try talking to her about it instead of yelling at her._

"I miss you so much, love." Marius said, feeling tears in his eyes.

_I miss you, too. By tomorrow, Cassidy will forgive you – just tell her the truth. It was children being children._

Marius nodded and wiped his eyes. He blinked at the apparition/dream/ghost/spirit/thing was gone.

He sighed and stood up. He went to Ella's room and saw the lights were out. He tried the handle – locked.

"Ella? Are you in there?" Marius asked, knocking on the door.

Silence.

He tried pressing his shoulder to the door. It wouldn't budge. He looked around and thought of the screwdriver in the toolbox in the basement. He went to the basement and brought up both screwdrivers.

Five minutes later, the door was unhinged, but there was no sign of Ella. Just the open window and a note stuck to her desk.

"Ran away from home. Don't come looking for me." Marius read the note out loud.

The wind blew through the open window. Winter was coming fast and it was cold out there. Marius went to Anton's room, put the sleeping little one in the car and headed out into the oncoming storm, hoping he wasn't too late.


	9. Forgiveness

CHAPTER NINE  
(chapter title – Forgiveness)

Javert was reading his favorite novel when he heard someone knock on his door. He looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. The clock chimed ten times.

He opened the door and saw Ella standing on his doorstep, shaking and shivering.

"My child, what the devil are you doing all the way out here?" Javert asked, looking outside for Marius or anyone in Ella's family. When he didn't see them, he closed the door and turned all his attention to this shivering little one in front of him.

"M-my d-dad a-a-and I-I-I g-g-got i-in-into a-a-a f-f-fight." Ella answered, her teeth chattering loudly.

Javert led her to the couch and had her lay down upon it. He then found as many blankets as he could and piled them on top of her. She was still shivering like a leaf.

He started a fire in the fireplace when his house phone rang.

"Hello?...This is him….What?...Okay….Uh huh….Try John or Tim…You did?...no answer…I'll give you Nicki's number and see if she can help…Do you have a pen and paper handy?...It's 667-555-5981…Good luck…Good night to you, too…Bye." Javert hung up the phone and walked over to where Ella was.

He stroked her hair as his long-haired silver tabby, Alfred, slunk into the room. Alfred meowed loudly and waddled over to Javert. Alfred was also ten pounds overweight, so he was on a special diet cat food.

Ella lifted her head off the throw pillow and reached out to touch Alfred. He rubbed his head against Ella's palm and joined her on the couch.

Javert was sitting in the armchair next to the couch when the phone rang, startling Javert, Alfred and Ella. Javert ran to the phone and answered it on the fifth ring.

"Hello?...This is him…Hi, Marius," Javert greeted Marius. Ella shook her head and buried herself under the seven blankets that were piled on top of her. "Ella?...She's safe at my place….She said you two had a fight – oh…Oh…I'm sorry…Should I send her home?...You're on your way….Tell you what – why don't you check into a hotel and I'll have her stay with me…Okay…See you tomorrow…Bye."

Javert looked under the blankets and saw Ella sleeping peacefully, an arm wrapped around Alfred's body. He wiggled out of Ella's grasp and hopped off the couch.

He stroked her hair and looked at her for a while. She looked almost like Sally, his niece. He had lost contact with her and didn't know if she had Facebook or not.

Ella stirred in her sleep, her eyelids fluttering rapidly. She threw the blankets off her and in her sleep, pulled two or three on top of her.

Javert didn't get a wink of sleep that night. Ella started shaking violently. He put more blankets on her, but she kicked them off. He held her in his arms, hoping body heat would help – it didn't.

He dozed off as the sun peaked over the horizon. He made some coffee as Marius pulled into the driveway. He didn't wait until Marius was halfway up the steps, Anton in his arms, that Javert opened the door.

"This is the last place she would be." Marius whispered to Javert. Alfred came to inspect the new visitors and hissed loudly when Anton approached him.

"Anton, he's old and crotchety, so I wouldn't get too close." Javert told the little boy, chasing after him as Alfred went into Javert's room and hid under the bed, a low growling sound in his throat.

"Buh bye kitty." Anton told Alfred as he and Javert exited the room.

Javert went out to the living room and saw Marius sit down next to Ella. She peered out from her dark tunnel and glared at Marius.

"Ella, I have work and Anton has daycare. Let's go!" Marius told Ella.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Ella croaked.

He reached under the blankets and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm.

"Ow! Stop! You're hurting me!" Ella shouted.

"I don't care – you've caused a lot of trouble for me!" Marius told her. He then turned to Javert, "thank you for everything you've done for her."

"You're welcome." Javert said, watching Marius drag Ella out of the house. She was kicking and screaming. She then stopped acting out and nearly fainted.

Javert rushed outside to see what happened.

"She's burning up, even though it's freezing out here," Marius told Javert. "Would you mind watching Anton while I take her to the hospital?"

Javert nodded and watched Marius zoom off into the distance.

"Dada!" Anton wailed.

"You're going to stay with me for a while." Javert told Anton, taking him inside.

The two of them watched a movie and were playing a game when Javert's phone rang.

"Anton, I'll be right back. No cheating!" Javert told Anton as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Javert? It's Marius."

"I know – caller ID. What's going on?"

"Ella has phenomena and has to stay in the hospital for a while."

"I'm so sorry!"

"She had the beginning stages when she was at Sara's birthday party. I probably caused this."

"No, you didn't," Javert said firmly, "it was the weather and the outfit she had on – some boy band T-shirt, boxer shorts and sandals."

"If it wasn't for you, she would probably be dead by now."

"Hush – do not speak like that."

"Changing subjects, how's Anton doing?"

"He's all right – we're playing a game then I was going to make some macaroni and cheese."

"Sounds good. I'll be by to get him soon, as soon as Ella's situated in her hospital room."

"All right. Tell Ella I said hello and to get better soon."

"I will."

With that Marius and Javert hung up their phones. Javert sighed and went to sit with Anton.

He made Anton dinner and was feeding him when the phone rang again.

"Hello?...This is him….When?...Oh my God….Oh my God….Um I'll be there as soon as I can…thank you…bye." Javert hung up the phone and went to sit with Anton.

"What wrong?" Anton asked.

"Nothing, sweet boy." Javert lied, not wanting to explain that the police found Sally. She had died in a car accident that morning.

Just then, Marius came for Anton. Javert carried the little boy out to see his father as he locked the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Marius asked as he put Anton in his car seat.

"I got a phone call from the morgue. They found Sally – she died in a car accident and I need to identify the body." Javert explained.

"The morgue is on the way to the hospital – I'll give you a ride." Marius told Javert. He smiled and got in the front seat.

Marius exited the driveway and took Javert to the morgue before going to the hospital.

When Anton and Marius got to Ella's room, Enjolras was there, looking at the sleeping little girl. He looked up when Marius and Anton entered.

"No change." Enjolras whispered as Marius handed him Anton.

"She looks so peaceful." Marius whispered back, looking down at Ella.

She was in a sky-blue hospital gown and was hooked up to several monitors that was beeping, buzzing and humming. She laid under a heated blanket, which hopefully, would make her warmer.

She stirred a little in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Marius sat on the chair next to the bed as Enjolras exited the room.

"Marius?" a kind voice whispered through the darkness. Marius blinked a few times and saw Cassidy enter the room. Today, she wore a pink T-shirt with 'Riverdance' written across the front with a white tank-top underneath, cream-colored Capri's and black sandals. Her hair was in a short braid.

"Cassidy! I thought I would never see you again!" Marius whispered, going over to her and kissed her hand. She smiled and walked over to Ella.

"How's she doing?" Cassidy asked.

"No change. I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you. I don't like what you did to Ella – taking away the one thing she loved for a whole month."

"I think I'm going to let that punishment go."

"Good. Punishment doesn't teach kids anything."

"Do you believe in punishment?"

By this time, the two of them were having dinner in the hospital cafeteria, since there was no change to Ella's health.

"No, I don't."

"What if a child misbehaves or does something incredibly dangerous?"

"I tend to look at it in a positive manner and try to get them focused on something else."

"That's exactly how Cosette would've answered that question." Marius said, feeling a lump in his throat when he mentioned Cosette's name.

Cassidy smiled, then frowned. She had lost her husband, Ryan, two years ago, so she knew how Marius was feeling. Ryan was a soldier in Afghanistan and was killed when his humvee ran over a roadside bomb. He and two others were killed instantly.

"So, Cassidy, were you ever married?" Marius asked.

"Yeah, I was, but he died two years ago in Afghanistan. His humvee ran over a roadside bomb. He and two others were killed instantly." Cassidy answered.

"Oh God – I'm so sorry!" Marius apologized.

"It's all right. You would've loved him. He was really sweet, outgoing, positive, had a great sense of humor and had a good head on his shoulders."

"What was his name?"

"Ryan. What about you?"

"My wife's name was Cosette."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thanks."

"How did she die, if you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all – she died the day after our son was born from septic poisoning."

"I'm so sorry!"

"Thanks. Can we talk about something else? This is making me upset."

Cassidy nodded and reached across the table for Marius' hand.

They talked about how they met their spouses, along with favorite TV shows, movies, music, animals, colors, books, foods and places to visit.

"You wouldn't want to come over for some wine, would you?" Marius asked.

"Sure. I'm not teaching tomorrow, so yeah." Cassidy finished rather lamely.

"Anton is staying with Enjolras and his family tonight, so we have the whole house to ourselves." Marius told Cassidy as they walked to the car.

It was a silent ride to the Pontmercy's house, which Marius was okay with.

"Is white wine all right?" Marius asked from the basement.

"White is fine with me!" Cassidy called back as she looked at framed pictures of Marius, Cosette, Ella and Anton. "Your wife was beautiful!"

"Thank you," Marius said as he poured Cassidy a half-glass of white wine. "This is my favorite – it's called White Willow."

"It's very fruity and sweet." Cassidy noted, taking a sip.

"Do you like it?" Marius asked.

"Yeah. It's good." Cassidy answered, taking another sip.

As he and Cassidy talked, he saw her in a whole new light. He leaned in to kiss her and she returned it.

He stood up and led Cassidy to the bedroom, not breaking contact with her. They made their way to the bed as clothes came off in all directions.

Cassidy took her hair out of her braid and it fell to her shoulders. Marius put his hands on either side of her body as she laid on top of him, feeling him go inside her.

"You are so beautiful, you know that?" Marius whispered in her ear when they finished. He looked at the dog tags around her neck and ran his fingers over them.

"I am?" Cassidy asked, turning over so she was facing Marius.

"No one's called you beautiful before?" Marius questioned.

"Not since Ryan." Cassidy answered.

"Cass, everything okay?" Marius asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell Ella or any of your friends?" Cassidy asked. Marius nodded and promised he would not breathe a word about it to anyone. "I don't know where to begin."

"What about at the beginning, since it's a good place to start." Marius joked, trying to relieve some of the tension in the air.

"Shut up!" Cassidy teased, her face suddenly getting very serious, "when I was a teenager, I was sexually molested by a neighborhood boy who used to watch me as a kid. I was fifteen and he was twenty-two at the time. The neighborhood boy was actually my science tutor. When I did my homework, he would sit right next to me and have his hand up my shirt, telling me what a special and sweet girl I was."

"Did you tell anyone?" Marius asked, holding her in his arms.

"I told my parents, but they didn't believe me. It wasn't until I started throwing up every morning that they knew something was wrong with me. They took me to the doctor and she said that I was about four weeks pregnant. My father had a temper and he kicked me out of the family. My mother was very quiet and didn't say anything, other than for me to pack my bags. I had a little boy who I gave up for adoption, seeing as I wasn't a good mom.

I met Ryan and my whole world changed. Even though he was in boot camp, we found ways to see each other. Then he had to go to Afghanistan to help in this special mission. He wouldn't tell me anything about it and that was that. Ryan also had a little bit of a temper, but it didn't bother me. We were together four months before he asked me to marry him. I said 'yes'. He wanted to have kids right away. We had twin boys who were stillborn and were delivered six months early." Cassidy finished her story, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Marius held her close, letting her know it was all right.

As she slept in his arms, Marius hoped that Cassidy would have a better life with him, Anton and Ella.


	10. Big Changes

**A/N - HEY EVERYONE! I "HOPE" EVERYONE'S ENJOYING HOPE FOR TOMORROW! I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY LONG, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH DETAIL AND THINGS IN THIS CHAPTER THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR CHAPTER 11 AND ALL THE CHAPTERS TO COME.**

**I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE, BUT I'M HOPING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40 CHAPTERS. I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS!**

**TALK TO YOU LATER, CHICKADEES! (I'm tired, so forgive me)**

**-Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER TEN  
(chapter title – Big Changes)

Ella was now fully recovered from her illness. Marius decided not to punish her, seeing as he almost lost his beautiful, sweet, compassionate, loving girl to phenomena.

Cassidy ended up moving in with the Pontmercy's ten days before Ella's twelfth birthday.

Ella invited Sara, along with Ruth, Taylor and Charlotte to her birthday party. The party was Harry Potter themed. Everyone got sorted into a house and played Quidditch.

Ella received a gold-and-red knitted sweater from Cassidy, some horse models from various friends of Ella's dad, books that included Tales of Beadle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages from Marius, a huge stuffed horse from Sara, some gift cards for some stores that Ella liked from Charlotte, Ruth and Taylor, some perfume from Enjolras, Eponine and Jolene and some various gifts from friends and family.

She had decided to breed Hope to a strawberry roan Thoroughbred stallion named Gone With The Wind. Hope was almost done with her pregnancy and it was taking its toll on her.

"Everyone, Hope has gone into labor!" Joly called as he rushed into the house.

"She's not due for another week!" Ella said as she went down to the barn, flanked by her friends and family.

"Well, she's going into labor now!" Joly said, taking Ella's hand in his as they sprinted down to the barn.

Ella was the first one to approach Hope's stall. She was in a large birthing stall towards the back of the barn, away from all the noise.

The top half of her beautiful tail was wrapped with green medical tape to keep it out of the way when she had the foal. She kept biting at her side and pacing.

"She's having contractions." Ella announced as Marius, Cassidy, Sara, Enjolras, Joly and Eponine entered the barn. Courfrayac and the others stayed behind to clean up and watch after the little ones.

Sure enough, a ripple went through Hope's body. She groaned in pain and laid down. The sawdust in her stall had been replaced with straw to cushion the baby's fall. Joly had replaced the straw when Hope's water had broken.

"I better go in and make sure she's okay." Ella said, starting to go in.

"No, I'll go. She might kick you when she's delivering." Marius told his daughter, ducking under the guard rail and stood in the corner, in case Hope needed any help.

Everyone watched as Hope stood up again, paced her stall, then laid down. A foreleg was sticking out. Another foreleg and the foal's head followed it. Marius smiled as the rest of the foal entered the world.

Hope pinned her ears against her head as Marius cleaned the birth sac from the foal's face and nose. She then pricked them forward when he checked to see if the foal was breathing. It was. He then checked under the foal's tail to see what Hope had delivered.

"She had a filly!" Marius exclaimed. Ella squeaked and watched her father duck back under the guard rail and join his family.

Hope nickered happily and nuzzled her filly, licking her dry. Once she was dried off, the filly raised herself on her wobbly legs and tumbled over.

"Look at her coloring – it's beautiful!" Sara whispered in Ella's ear.

Sara was right – the filly's baby fur was gray roan – a mixture of her mother and father. The filly had big brown eyes, long eyelashes and four white socks, along with a snip at the end of her nose.

"So, birthday girl, what are you going to name her?" Cassidy asked.

"Well, her dam's name is Hope For Tomorrow and her sire's name is Gone With The Wind, so I'm thinking Tomorrow's Wind, but I'm gonna call her Windy for short." Ella told the people behind her.

Joly smiled and went to write the filly's name, her mother's name, today's date and time in the foal book. He then walked over just in time to see Windy take her first drink of milk.

"Let's give Hope and Windy some privacy." Joly told the others as Hope and Windy laid down in the large stall. Windy laid her head on Hope's shoulder as Hope put her head on her new baby, as if protecting her.

"She's so beautiful!" Ella told the others as she entered the house.

"Did you take any pictures on your new digital camera?" Courfrayac asked. Ella nodded and showed him the pictures of Hope and Windy. "She's beautiful, Ella! What's her name?"

"Her full name is Tomorrow's Wind, but her barn name is Windy." Ella answered. Everyone agreed that they liked the name. Ella ginned from ear to ear, but it frowned when Joly entered the house, his hands bloody and a frown on his face. "Joly? What's wrong?"

"Hope was carrying twins, but the one twin didn't survive. I tried to get it out myself, but it was breached. I tried to reposition the foal so it would come out right. Eventually, it came, but it was stillborn." Joly explained, going to the kitchen to wash the blood off his hands.

"Did she have a colt or a filly?" Ella inquired.

"Another filly." Joly answered.

"We know that Windy and Hope are healthy." Marius assured Ella. She nodded and took her presents to her room, with Sara, Taylor, Ruth and Charlotte's help.

Once Ella's presents were in her room, everyone sang Happy Birthday to Ella and Windy. Ella blew out all twelve of her candles and smiled as Courfrayac cut her a large piece of chocolate cake.

After cake, everyone left, except Ella, Anton, Marius and Cassidy.

"Did you have a nice birthday, Ella?" Cassidy asked as she came into Ella's room. Ella nodded and watched Cassidy sit on her bed. She was wearing a green and blue tye dye dress that came to her ankles and had quarter-length sleeves.

"I had a great day." Ella responded, not bothering to stifle a yawn.

"Before you fall asleep, I wanted to give you this," Cassidy said, handing Ella a gift that was the size of a DVD, only it felt like there were a bunch of them wrapped together. Ella tore off the wrapping paper and smiled as Cassidy turned on the bedside lamp so Ella could see better. "I hope you don't have these."

"Oliver and Company, Black Beauty, Fox and the Hound, Phar Lap, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Noble Man. No, I don't have any of these. Thank you, Cassidy!" Ella thanked Cassidy, hugging her. Cassidy smiled and hugged her back.

"Noble Man is about a Thoroughbred colt, then gelding, who is a steeplechaser. I used to do steeplechase and would love to watch it with you sometime." Cassidy told Ella. She nodded and looked to see who was in the movie.

"Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Betty White, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, Toby McGuire Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Ed Asner and Leonardo DiCaprio!" Ella read each name with fascination.

"Zac Efron and Taylor Swift are the younger versions of Will and Emma, played by Ty Burrell and Tina Fey. Ed Asner and Betty White play Will and Emma when they're senior citizens." Cassidy told Ella.

"Who plays Noble Man?" Ella inquired.

"Two To Tango, Gone With The Wind, Snow White, Buster and Fame play him." Cassidy answered.

"I know Gone With The Wind – that's Windy's dad. I've heard of Two To Tango and Snow White. I've never heard of Buster or Fame." Ella said.

"How can you not hear of Buster or Fame – they live at your uncle Courfrayac and uncle Joly's barn." Cassidy said.

"They do?" Ella asked.

"Yeah. I was the horse trainer on this movie." Cassidy told Ella.

They talked a while longer about the movie before Ella started to get tired. Cassidy kissed the top of Ella's head, drew the covers to her chin, turned off the overhead light and closed the door.

She went to join Marius in the master bedroom. Marius was reading a book and kept pushing his reading glasses to the bridge of his nose every ten seconds.

"What shall we do tomorrow?" Marius asked as Cassidy climbed in beside him. She kissed Marius' cheek and rested her head on his clavicle.

"I have classes to teach all day, you have work, Ella has school and Anton goes to daycare." Cassidy told Marius. He set the book down and looked into Cassidy's beautiful eyes.

"I meant tomorrow night – just the two of us. It's our date night." Marius told her, kissing her.

"I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie." Cassidy said, wrapping her arms around Marius' torso.

"I have something even better – I checked us in at a bed and breakfast called Wolf's Howl. We're staying there an entire week." Marius told Cassidy, getting the brochure for the bed and breakfast.

"It looks amazing, but what about the kids?" Cassidy asked.

"They're going to stay with Courfrayac and Joly. Enjolras, Eponine, Sara and Jolie are going out of town to see Enjolras' mother – she's not doing well." Marius told her.

Cassidy smiled and rested her head on Marius' chest. He kissed her temple and wrapped his arms around her.

What Cassidy didn't know was that on the third day they were at the bed and breakfast, he was going to ask her to marry him.

He had picked out her engagement ring and put it in his bedside drawer, knowing that she would love it.

* * *

A week later, Marius and Cassidy dropped the kids off at Courfrayac and Joly's farm before driving to Wolf's Howl.

They grabbed breakfast from a drive-through and listened to two audio books on the way there.

"Welcome to Wolf's Howl." Marius told Cassidy four hours later. She had been asleep, but opened her eyes and looked at the beautiful house in front of her.

The house was a huge six-story mansion that sat on top of a hill. Smaller buildings were spread along the hill and as they drove up to the mansion, Cassidy saw a mess hall, horseback riding stable, dance hall, band shell, fire pit and two paths that led off in different directions.

Marius parked the car as Cassidy woke up. The two of them brought in their suitcases and food before going up to the mansion.

A butler greeted them at the door and ushered them inside. Cassidy took a moment to look around while Marius went to check them in.

The main foyer had a six-story ceiling with stained glass pictures decorating the ceiling. Off to one side, a spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever, along with a tall bookshelf, a couple of chairs, end tables, a coffee table with dusty books on it, a large intricately patterned rug and a large stone fireplace.

"Cass, are you coming?" Marius asked, waving her over. Cassidy blinked at least twenty times to see if she was dreaming. "There aren't any elevators, so we're on the first floor in the Red Room."

"That's fine. I would've been fine to climb the stairs." Cassidy told Marius as they followed the butler to their room, just beyond the staircase.

They entered the room and saw why it was called the Red Room – everything was red – the hardwood floor, the two-story ceiling, the walls, furniture – everything.

"It even has a red mini fridge!" Cassidy squeaked, simply amused by the redness of everything.

"Come check out this painting!" Marius called from somewhere deep within the room. Cassidy walked toward his voice and found him in the bedroom.

"Wow!" Cassidy exclaimed, glancing at the painting.

The painting was in a large gold frame that was the size of a large picture window. It was the painting inside the frame that caught Marius' eye.

The painting was a portrait of a man and a woman. The man stood behind the woman, who was seated. The man had a hand on the woman's shoulder and the other holding one of her hands. The woman's other hand laid on her lap.

Both the man and woman had brown hair, eyes and simple features. They were fair-skinned and fairly thin, especially the woman.

The man had a full beard streaked with gray. He wore a black wide-brimmed hat, a black overcoat, shirt, pants and gloves. The woman had her brown hair pulled in a tight bun at the top of her head. She wore wire-rimmed glasses, a dress with a pattern of flowers, a white apron and had a stern look on her face, as if someone had done something wrong. The man, however, wore a smile, but didn't show any of his teeth.

It had been painted on a red background. It showed nothing but the people in the painting.

"This is extremely detailed. I wish I could paint like that." Cassidy said as she unpacked. "You know, if we make love, they're going to watch us, right?"

"I'll put a pillowcase or something over the portrait when we do." Marius told her, coming up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her ear, neck, jaw line and turned her around so he could kiss the rest of her.

"What time is dinner?" Cassidy asked, leading Marius to the King-sized bed in the middle of the room. Her stomach had started growling the moment they stepped into the room, making Marius burst out laughing. Cassidy had hit him with her purse.

"We missed dinner by an hour. Breakfast is served from eight to ten tomorrow morning. If you're hungry, we have snacks in the fridge and the bags from the trip." Marius told her, having her lay on top of him.

Cassidy removed her shirt and bra as Marius kissed her everywhere his lips could reach. He removed his shirt as Cassidy climbed under the covers, throwing her skirt and underwear in his face.

He laughed and dove in after her, removing the rest of his clothing. He loved how she felt against him as they moved as one.

They rested and looked into each other's eyes. Cassidy blinked up at him as he pulled out of her. He kissed her forehead and held her close.

"What are we doing while we're here?" Cassidy asked.

"Tomorrow, we're having a cooking class, going horseback riding, going on the riverboat on the lake, going for a guided bicycle tour and in the evening, going to the graveyard for a movie night." Marius answered.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Cassidy said, nuzzling his neck. She then looked scared, "did you say graveyard?"

"Yes, I did. Why? Are you scared?" Marius asked, tickling Cassidy. She laughed and moved away from him, but he followed her.

"I am not scared!" Cassidy said between fits of giggles.

Marius climbed on top of her and noticed her scars for the first time. They were on the tops of her arms, wrists, legs, stomach, torso and even one on her neck.

"Cass, what are all these cuts from?" Marius asked, looking at one on her wrist.

"Oh. Those," Cassidy said, suddenly seeming ashamed, "I used to cut myself."

Marius didn't know what to say – she had a darker past than he thought.

"Some of those look really painful." Marius noted, looking at the scars on her stomach and torso.

She shrugged and turned away from him. He knew she didn't want to talk about it, so he left it alone. He moved over to her and rubbed her back in a circular motion.

"I'm sorry I asked about the scars." Marius apologized.

"It's all right," Cassidy told him, turning over on her back. Marius smiled and kissed her again, his hands going to her dog tags. He started to take them off when Cassidy stopped him, "please don't take off my dog tags. They're the only thing I have left of Ryan."

"I'm sorry," Marius said. She smiled and watched him continue to kiss and touch her in the right spots. She moaned with pleasure as Marius put a hand between her legs and felt around. He climbed on top of her and removed his hand. He turned her over on her side so he could enter her easier. "Let me know if I hurt you."

Cassidy nodded and felt herself grow tired. She looked over at the clock and saw it was a little after two in the morning – no wonder why she was tired.

"Marius, it's 2:09 in the morning. We better get some sleep." Cassidy told Marius. He nodded, pulled out and climbed under the covers, taking Cassidy in his arms. She fell asleep to the beating of his heart.

The next morning, Cassidy climbed out of bed and went to take a shower. She sang various show tunes as Marius came into the bathroom and entered the shower.

"_In sleep he sang to me  
In dreams he came  
That voice which calls to me  
And speaks my name  
And do I dream again  
For now I find  
The Phantom of the Opera  
Is there, inside my mind_." Cassidy sang as she lathered shampoo into her hair. At the moment, she had her eyes closed, but opened them when Marius wrapped his arms around her.

"Morning, Cassidy." Marius greeted her, kissing her cheek.

"We've been together for a year and a half. When are you going to come up with cute nicknames for me?" Cassidy asked.

"I haven't been able to think of any that I like yet." Marius answered as Cassidy got the shampoo out of her hair.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Marius asked.

"I got shampoo in my eye! Son of a nutcracker!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"Here, let me help." Marius said, stifling a giggle. "Son of a nutcracker?"

"I don't swear. I used to when I was a teenager, but stopped for some reason."

"Why is that?" Marius asked, getting the rest of the shampoo out of Cassidy's eye.

"I don't know really." Cassidy answered, turning off the water and walked back to the bedroom, not bothering to wrap a towel around her.

She decided to wear a pair of black Capri's with a T-shirt that had a picture of a howling wolf on it. Marius wore jeans and a T-shirt that had 'Standing on the Side of Love' on it. Cassidy had given it to him for a birthday present.

The two of them decided to wear sneakers as Cassidy put her hair into braided pigtails.

They walked hand-in-hand to the mess hall. The two of them piled their plates high with food and went to join some people seated around one of the several round tables in the room.

"Hello." Marius greeted them as he sat down next to an African-American woman.

"Hi." She greeted him back as Cassidy sat next to Marius.

"I'm Marius and this is my girlfriend, Cassidy." Marius introduced himself and Cassidy to the group.

"I'm Jasmine and this is my husband, Dan." The African-American woman – or Jasmine – introduced herself and the African-American man seated next to her.

Besides Dan and Jasmine, there were Clair and Oliver, Solange and James, Olivia and Michael, followed by Garrett and Svetlana.

"What rooms are you guys in?" Cassidy asked, taking a bite of bacon.

"We're in the Green Room." Clair answered.

"We're in the Purple Room." Solange said.

"We're in the Blue Room." Dan spoke up.

"We're in the Orange Room." Olivia chimed in.

"We're in the Yellow Room." Garrett said.

"We're in the Red Room." Marius said.

"Oh. We were going to stay there, but the Yellow Room just spoke to us." Svetlana said, her voice accented with a Russian accent.

"Where are you all from?" Oliver asked.

"We're from Michigan." Cassidy answered.

"We're from Indiana." Garrett said.

"We're from Rhode Island." Olivia said.

"We're from Maine." Jasmine spoke up.

"We're from California." Solange said.

"I'm from Wisconsin and Clair is from England." Oliver told his new friends.

"What's everybody's line of work?" Cassidy asked as someone cleared all the plates from around the table.

"I'm in real estate and James is a writer." Solange said.

"I'm a hotel concierge and Garrett is a photographer." Svetlana said.

"I'm a club owner and Jasmine's a singer." Dan said.

"I'm in a band and Michael is an actor." Olivia said.

"I'm a stay-at-home dad and Jasmine is a CEO at a large company." Dan said.

"I'm a lawyer and Cassidy's a horse trainer." Marius said.

"Do you have any children?" Dan asked as they exited the mess hall and went onto the large screened-in porch just off the mess hall.

"We have two – Andy and Natasha." Garrett said.

"We have four – all girls – Natalie, Emma, Brooklyn and Juliet." James said.

"We have two – boys – Derek and Shawn." Olivia said.

"We have five – Amy, Jamie, Brittany, Tatum and Noah." Clair said.

"We have one – Benjamin and one on the way – a little girl due in September." Jasmine said.

"We have two – Ella and Anton." Cassidy said.

They all chatted for a while before Marius told Cassidy it was time to go horseback riding. They said goodbye to their new friends and headed to the stable.

Two elegant horses were waiting for Marius and Cassidy as they entered the stable.

One was a stormy gray that was built like a Quarter Horse with big brown eyes. It had a blaze that ran down its face and two hind socks.

The other was a sorrel and white paint with one brown eye and one blue eye. The paint had a small star directly in the middle of its forehead and two front socks.

"These are Diamond and Stormy. Marius, you'll be riding Diamond and Cassidy, you'll be riding Stormy." A groom told the couple as they walked over to the horses.

"Which one's which?" Cassidy asked.

"Stormy's the gray and Diamond's the paint. They're both mares." The groom said, helping Cassidy mount Stormy. She bobbed her head as the groom tightened her cinch and lengthened Cassidy's stirrups. "Quit!"

"Walk on, Stormy." Cassidy told Stormy, gently nudging the mare forward. She took a few bumbling steps, but quickly found her rhythm.

Cassidy had Stormy go into the arena where four other riders were waiting. Cassidy instantly recognized them as Clair, Olivia, Oliver and Michael.

"Hullo!" Clair greeted Cassidy, bringing her mount over. "Thunder, quit it!"

"What a lovely horse you have there!" Cassidy told Clair as Marius jogged into the arena. Diamond was tossing her head and snorting loudly.

"Thanks. Yours is lovely, too. What's your horse's name?" Cassidy asked.

"This beautiful gelding is Thunder. You're riding his sister, Stormy." Clair told Cassidy as a group leader came into the arena, mounted on a beautiful bay Thoroughbred mare named Summer's Night.

"Who're Oliver, Olivia and Michael riding?" Cassidy asked, sitting up straighter in her saddle.

"Oliver's riding Marshmallow, Olivia is on King and Michael is on Strawberry," Clair answered, turning to Marius, "I've ridden Diamond before. She's a sweetheart."

Cassidy smiled as she followed Clair onto the trail, Marius and Diamond bringing up the rear.

"You might want this." Clair said, turning in her saddle and handed Cassidy an object that was the size of a lighter. "Clip it to your shirt, dearie. There's one for Marius, too."

Cassidy handed Marius the other lighter-sized object and had him clip it to his shirt.

"…was founded in 1902 by General Lewis and his wife, Martha…" the trail leader's voice came through the small speaker at the top of the object. "Wolf's Howl spreads across 40 acres of land. It used to be more until the city wanted to build the highway across the back of the property…

In each of your rooms, you might have noticed a painting. That painting is of General Lewis and Martha. It was painted in 1910 by Jacque du Bouts. Today, the painting is worth at least $50,000.00.

Each room is painted a certain color – Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple, White, Black, Orange, Teal and Pink and filled with furnishings of the same color. Why each room is painted a certain color was so that Martha and General Lewis could tell which of their children was in each room. They had ten children, but only four survived to adulthood.

The White, Black, Orange and Teal rooms are off-limits to visitors because it is where the children, then later General Lewis and Martha died. The rooms are said to be haunted.

Finishing the tour, there's a golf course, nature trail, lake – not to be swum in, tennis court, lighthouse, gazebo and a church, if you so desire, to get married in. We have four ordained ministers who can do most any type of ceremony.

There's also a gift shop that sells anything from candles to cookies to T-shirts to tin soldiers to anything your heart desires.

The restaurant next to the gift shop – Martha's – has an arrangement of delicious food that you all should try when you're here.

If nothing appeals to you at Martha's, there's a town 7 miles east of here that has all sorts of restaurants.

It looks like it's going to rain, so let's turn around and head back to the stables. You may trot, if you wish, but no cantering or racing." The leader's voice said.

Everyone turned their horses around and trotted back to the barn.

Cassidy turned her eyes to the sky and saw it was darkening quickly. She and Marius made a dash for their bedroom as rain poured down from the sky. Thunder rumbled and lightening pierced the sky.

"Well, there goes the rest of the afternoon." Marius said, lying on the bed. Cassidy kicked off her sneakers and climbed in next to him.

"We have lunch and then the cooking class, right?" Cassidy asked, nibbling on Marius' earlobe.

"Lunch isn't for an hour and our cooking class isn't until two and goes until three-fifteen. The bicycle tour doesn't start until three-twenty. The riverboat tour on the lake doesn't start until six and the movie in the graveyard doesn't start until seven." Marius told her between kisses, his hands sneaking up Cassidy's shirt and pulled it off her head, along with her glasses, which Marius set on the bedside table.

The two of them made out for a while then listened to the sound of the rain falling on the roof.

They then got dressed, had lunch with people from that morning and headed for their cooking class. They smiled and saw their friends from that morning standing at portable burners set up around the room.

The couples learned how to make spaghetti sauce from the ingredients from the garden.

"Open." Cassidy told Marius, scooping some sauce onto a spoon. Marius opened his mouth and closed his eyes, smiling contently.

"This is amazing, Cass!" Marius exclaimed, kissing her cheek.

The two of them worked together to clean up their work station before heading to the bike trail behind the mess hall.

Clair and Oliver, Dan and Jasmine, Olivia and Michael joined Marius and Cassidy.

A blond-haired woman acted as their guide. Her name was Samara and she was from Poland.

"Okay, everyone. Grab your helmets and let's go!" Samara told the group as she got onto a sky-blue bicycle and motioned for everyone to do the same. She then took off towards a wooden trail, the group following behind her.

She talked loudly enough so everyone could hear her. She talked about the property and how General Lewis decided to settle down in this spot. She then talked about how the building was constructed and said at least 50 men died building it. Building started in 1897 and took seven years to construct. Building was finished in 1904. General Lewis and Martha didn't move in until 1905 because of some roof damage.

The bicycle ended after an hour. Everyone thanked Samara and headed off on their separate journeys.

Marius and Cassidy went to their room so they could change and shower before going on the riverboat. They would be having dinner on the riverboat, so they wanted to go early and get their table.

"Oh my goodness gracious!" Cassidy exclaimed as she looked at the riverboat. It was red and white with the words 'THE GRAND DUCHESS' written across the side in black block letters.

The riverboat was three levels, had a wrap-around porch on each level and glass windows. A large wheel was at the back, currently unmoving.

A blond-haired man greeted Marius and Cassidy as they walked aboard the riverboat.

He led them to a table on the second level and sat them towards the back so they were sitting next to the wheel.

"I'm Jesse and I'll be your waiter this fine evenin'. Can I start y'all with somethin' to drink?" the waiter – Jesse – asked in a Southern drawl.

"Could I have some unsweetened iced tea and a water, please?" Cassidy asked.

"Same for me." Marius said as Jesse handed them menus.

"I'll be right back." He told the couple.

"Mmm. Everything on here looks amazing!" Cassidy said as her stomach grumbled.

"I think I'm gonna have the sea bass. What about you, honey?" Marius asked.

"The pulled chicken sandwich sounds delicious." Cassidy said.

"You don't eat fish?" Marius inquired as Jesse came back with their drinks.

"I like tuna and salmon, but other than that, no." Cassidy said.

"Are y'all ready to order?" Jesse asked, getting out a notebook and a pen.

"I'll have the sea bass, lightly cooked with a garden salad." Marius said. Jesse wrote down his order as the riverboat pulled away from the shore.

"And for you, darlin'?" Jesse inquired, turning to Cassidy.

"I'll have the pulled chicken sandwich with a side of steamed vegetables, please." Cassidy said. Both of them handed their menus to Jesse and looked out into the open water.

A slow bluegrass version of Beauty and the Beast came over the overhead speakers. Marius stood up and extended his hand to Cassidy. She stood up and took his hand.

Marius drew her close as the music swelled to a crescendo. He put his left hand on her waist and took her right hand in his. Cassidy put a hand on his waist and put her hand over Marius' beating heart.

The two of them danced to the music, praying that nobody else came to the second floor balcony.

When the music finished, Cassidy rested her head on Marius' shoulder. He kissed her forehead and drew her even closer to him.

The two of them danced until their dinners came. They looked out the window and watched as the full moon rose over the lake.

"That is so beautiful!" Cassidy whispered as the riverboat went back to the shore.

Jesse cleared their plates. Marius paid for dinner and the two of them walked off the boat, hand-in-hand.

Cassidy went back to the room to get a sweater and a blanket for her and Marius to sit on while they watched the movie in the graveyard. Marius had gone to get tickets and told Cassidy he would wait for her.

She found him and they spread the red and white checkered blanket towards the middle of the graveyard.

The movie tonight was one of Marius' favorites – Roman Holiday. He mouthed nearly all the words, which Cassidy hit him for.

"Shush! I've never seen this movie!" Cassidy whispered, helping herself to some of Marius' popcorn. She then took a sip from the soda can she had bought at the concession stand.

When the movie finished, everyone applauded and stood up. Cassidy enjoyed the movie and thought of herself as Princess Ann.

Marius and Cassidy talked about the movie all the way back to their room, holding hands and enjoying being in each other's company.


	11. I Have Always Loved You

CHAPTER ELEVEN  
(chapter title – I Have Always Loved You)

Cassidy and Marius were enjoying their getaway and being in the company of each other. They had fished in the lake, gone horseback riding, taken another bicycle tour, sang songs around the fire, read in the library, visited the gazebo and attended a service at the small church. They had also went to a square dance, waltz and tango competitions at the dance hall.

They had also done things with their new couple friends. Marius and the guys played a round of golf while the girls got massages in the Peach Room of the mansion.

"Clair, you never told us what you and Oliver do for work." Cassidy said as she got a deep-tissue massage.

"We're both retired school teachers. I taught History, Music and Art. He taught English, Algebra and Science." Clair's voice vibrated as she got karate chopped on her back.

The girls were finished with their massages and went to join their husbands. Marius came over to Cassidy and kissed her passionately.

"Marius!" Cassidy giggled as they went to their room.

They kissed for a while, but didn't undress each other. Marius said they were running a little late and they had to hurry. Marius changed into jeans and a nice T-shirt while Cassidy wore a knee-length white skirt, a blue button-down shirt and her black flats. Marius wore sneakers. She also saw him sneak something into his jean's pocket, but didn't say anything.

They had 5:45 reservations at Martha's – the restaurant next to the gift shop. Their waitress' name was Maebelle and like Jesse – their waiter on the riverboat – spoke with a light Southern accent.

Cassidy ordered a steak sandwich with a garden salad on the side. Marius ordered a ham sandwich with French fries on the side. Both of them ordered unsweetened iced tea and water to drink.

Dinner conversation ranged from a variety of subjects, ranging to Cassidy's new job to a client that Marius was helping.

"Can I interest y'all in some dessert?" Maebelle asked as she took the couple's plates away.

"I'm stuffed, but Marius, if you want something, go for it." Cassidy said, patting her stomach.

Marius decided he didn't want any dessert, so he paid for the meal and the two of them left the restaurant.

The time was now 7:12 and dusk was beginning to fall.

"You might want to put this on because where we're going, the mosquitoes will eat you alive." Marius said, tossing Cassidy a can of bug spray. She sprayed herself and handed it to Marius, who put some on then put it away.

Cassidy smiled as they went hand-in-hand down to the lake. A silver canoe was waiting for them at the edge of the lake.

"Ladies first." Marius said, extending his hand to Cassidy. She got in the canoe as Marius pushed them off the shore and rowed them to the middle of the lake.

The moon was rising as Cassidy looked at the lake. She heard all sorts of noises – crickets, frogs, cicadas, owls, wolves and in the distance, horses whinnying to each other.

The water rocked the boat like a mother would cradle her child to sleep. Cassidy looked over and saw the large silhouette of the riverboat go drifting by.

"Cassidy, before it gets too dark, I want to tell you something," Marius started, taking Cassidy's hand in his. "I have loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. You are the light in the darkness, my lighthouse beam to guide me home, my everything. Since I can't kneel in this canoe, will you, Cassidy Maria Davis, do me the honor of marrying me?"

Cassidy felt tears in her eyes as Marius slipped a ring onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"Yes, Marius. I'll marry you!" Cassidy told him, kissing his soft lips. He kissed her back and felt for the oars. He found one, but seemed to have misplaced the other one.

"We might be in a little bit of trouble here." Marius told Cassidy.

"Why? What happened?" Cassidy asked.

"I seemed to have misplaced one of the oars."

"Great. Now what are we going to do?"

"Call for help?"

"Not just yet, there's something under my foot!" Cassidy squealed. She slowed her heart rate down as she felt the oar against her foot.

"What was that squeal for? You didn't see a snake, did you?" Marius asked as he rowed them back to shore.

"Thought I did." Cassidy answered.

Marius teased her some more about the oar being a snake as they walked to their room.

"Shh! People are sleeping!" Cassidy whispered as Marius fumbled for the key. She put her cell phone light to the keyhole, which made it easier for Marius to see.

The two of them entered the room, kicked off their shoes and went right for the bedroom. Things only got better from there.

* * *

The entire last day of their getaway, Cassidy got sick to her stomach that morning. Marius held her hair back and rubbed her back as she vomited.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Cassidy asked as she finished.

"No, you're not." Marius answered, helping her stand.

The two of them packed their belongings and exited their room. They ran into their friends that they had met at breakfast their first day at the mansion.

"Please keep in touch." Oliver told Marius, hugging him then Cassidy.

"We will." Marius promised as he lugged the last of the suitcases to the car.

On the ride home, Cassidy slept while Marius listened to an audio book. They stopped along the way home, just to use the bathroom and get lunch.

They reached home at 1:15 in the morning. Cassidy went directly to the master bedroom while Marius brought in the rest of the clothes. They would wait until the following day to do laundry and get the kids.

Marius climbed in next to Cassidy and held her in his arms. He kissed her neck and drew her closer to him.

* * *

Cassidy had been getting sick each morning for a couple of weeks now. She and Marius were at the clinic, just to make sure that Cassidy was all right.

Her name was called and both she and Marius walked to a back room. The nurse took Cassidy's vitals and asked her some health questions, which Cassidy answered honestly. She then handed Cassidy a pink gown and had her change, saying that Dr. Nelson would be in shortly. Cassidy thanked the nurse and stripped, feeling embarrassed.

She was now in the gown and was seated on the edge of the examining table. Marius sat on a chair next to the examining table, holding Cassidy's hand.

There was a knock on the door and a blond-haired hazel-eyed female doctor entered the room. She had a friendly nature about her as she shook Cassidy, then Marius' hands.

Dr. Nelson started the examination of Cassidy by asking her a few personal questions. Cassidy answered the questions honestly as Dr. Nelson ran her hands all over Cassidy's body.

"I'm going to do a pelvic exam on you, all right?" Dr. Nelson said, having Cassidy lay down on her back while Marius held her hand, telling her everything was all right.

The doctor finished her exam and handed Cassidy a pee cup. She rolled her eyes and exited the room. Dr. Nelson and Marius chatted until Cassidy came back with a full pee cup. Dr. Nelson took the cup and exited the room, only to return five minutes later with a huge grin upon her face.

"Congratulations you two – you're expecting!" Dr. Nelson told Marius and Cassidy.

"How far along am I and do you know how many babies I'm carrying?" Cassidy inquired.

"You're about six weeks along and according to the tests in the lab, you're going to have twins," Dr. Nelson said, writing something down on her prescription pad. "This is a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. Cassidy, because of your age, I would like to schedule a C-Section, okay?"

Cassidy nodded, smiled and thanked Dr. Nelson. Marius shook the doctor's hand, also thanking her. She told the couple to have a nice day and that Brenda at the front desk would help them with everything they needed. She then exited the room, leaving Cassidy to get dressed.

"Twins! I can't believe it!" Cassidy marveled as she put her clothes back on.

"I can't believe it, either." Marius said, helping Cassidy stand up and the two of them exited the room. They went to see Brenda at the front desk before exiting the clinic. She handed them brochures on OBGYNs, Lamaze Classes and anything else baby related that they would need to know.

They exited the clinic, hand-in-hand.

"Oh, I got a phone call from my sister Bridget. She, my other sister Evanna and my brothers Cedric and Thomas are flying here for the rehearsal dinner." Cassidy told Marius.

"I had forgotten all about your siblings!" Marius told Cassidy as they went to a restaurant near the clinic for lunch.

"Have you chosen a Best Man yet?" Cassidy asked as they were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant. A blond haired waitress with multicolored dreadlocks waited on them.

"I have. Enjolras," Marius answered taking a sip of his root beer. "Have you chosen a Maid of Honor?"

"My sister Evanna. Bridget, Eponine, Sara and Ella would be bridesmaids. I would love to have Jolene be the flower girl." Cassidy said, taking a sip of her water. They had ordered grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of French fries and a pickle, for Cassidy.

"Cedric, Thomas, Grantaire, Courfrayac and Joly would be groomsmen. Anton would be the ring bearer." Marius told Cassidy.

The two of them talked some more about wedding plans throughout lunch. They had decided that Cedric would walk Cassidy down the aisle, since her parents had disowned Cassidy when she was fifteen.

They had also decided that their wedding day was going to be June 12th. They had already taken their pictures for their Save The Date cards at Wolf's Howl.

* * *

Before they knew it, the day of the wedding arrived. Cassidy kissed Marius and got out of bed to take a shower and get dressed. She was two months pregnant and had her wedding dress altered throughout her pregnancy.

Marius rolled over and felt for Cassidy. He sat up, then went back to sleep, remembering she was going to the salon then to the church.

After Cassidy left, Marius forced himself to get up, showered and dressed. Enjolras had picked up the tuxes and was waiting for Marius and the groomsmen at the church.

The wedding was at 2:15, so both Marius and Cassidy had plenty of time to get ready.

Cassidy undressed as Evanna, her sister and Maid of Honor, helped her into her beautiful dress. It had been Cassidy's mother's dress and fit her perfectly.

"Cassidy, there's someone here to see you." Eponine said as she changed into her honey-colored bridesmaids dress.

"If it's Marius, tell him its bad luck to see me before the wedding." Cassidy said, wincing as Evanna helped her pin the tiara to the top of her head.

"It's not Marius – it's some guy in a kilt." Eponine told Cassidy. She felt her stomach drop – it was her dad. She hadn't spoken to him since she was thirteen years old.

"Quit squirmin'! You can handle a wee bit of pain!" Evanna told Cassidy. All Cassidy's siblings and other family members came from Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Cassidy had lost her Irish brogue when she had lived in America for five years.

"Ouch!" Cassidy whimpered. Evanna had successfully fastened the tiara in place. She then gathered her skirts and went to where the visitor was waiting. Cassidy scowled as she stood in front of her father. Her father only spoke Gaelic, which Cassidy could easily translate. "What are you doing here?"

"To see my girl get married."

"Bull. You kicked me out of the family when I was fifteen. I also don't remember sending you an invitation or a Save The Date card."

Cassidy could hear the string quartet finishing Vivaldi's Spring. She knew that Here Comes the Bride was next. Cedric was waiting to walk Cassidy down the aisle.

"I am here to get you to not get married. You don't know anything about this man. Ryan was a better match for you."

"Don't talk to me about Ryan or out of marriage on the most important day of my life!"

Cassidy exited the room and felt tears in her eyes. She quickly dabbed the tears away as she took Cedric's arm.

"You all right?" Cedric asked. Cassidy nodded and saw the bridesmaids, groomsmen and Marius waiting for her.

"Ran into dad – did you know he was coming?" Cassidy inquired through clenched teeth.

"No, I didn't. Don't worry – Thomas and I will keep an eye out." Cedric told his sister as she joined Marius. Cedric kissed Cassidy's cheek and took his spot behind Grantaire.

The priest greeted the congregation and thanked them for coming to this blessed union. Marius squeezed Cassidy's hand and she squeezed it back.

They exchanged vows, rings and a kiss or two before saying their I Do's. The priest blessed them and told Marius he could kiss his bride. He looked into Cassidy's eyes, drew her close and kissed her passionately just as the string quartet played. The groomsmen and bridesmaids made their way up the aisle, just as Marius and Cassidy followed them.

Cassidy, Marius, Evanna, Enjolras and the wedding photographer climbed into a carriage drawn by two beautiful white horses. The coachman gently flicked the reins and the horses trotted away from the church.

The five of them got out at different spots around the city to take pictures. Evanna and Enjolras watched the new couple look into each other's eyes as the photographer took picture after picture of them.

The last spot they took pictures was at a large fountain in the middle of town. Cassidy rested her head on Marius' shoulder and the two of them put their hands on Cassidy's stomach.

"So, where are you two going on your honeymoon?" the wedding photographer asked as he helped Cassidy into the carriage.

"We're going on an African Safari for two months. One of the months, we're going to an orphanage for both children and animals." Marius answered as he sat next to Cassidy.

"Hoping to adopt while you're down there?" the photographer asked.

"No – we're expecting twins in seven months." Cassidy answered, resting her head on Marius' shoulder. He put his arm around her waist and drew her close.

They arrived at the reception hall and entered the large building. Applause greeted Marius and Cassidy's ears as they entered the building and went to the dance floor.

"You ready?" Marius asked, placing his hands on Cassidy's waist, drawing her close. She nodded and wrapped her arms around Marius' neck. They had chosen Fly Me To the Moon for their first dance.

Once they were finished, there was scattered applause as they went to the Head Table. The bridesmaids were seated on Cassidy's side and the groomsmen were seated on Marius' side.

"I love you, Cassidy." Marius whispered in Cassidy's ear.

"I love you, too, Marius." Cassidy whispered back.

After dinner was served, Grantaire wandered over to Evanna and smiled at her. Evanna and Cassidy were deep in conversation, but looked over when Grantaire cleared his throat.

"Lovely vision of light, would you care to dance with me?" Grantaire asked Evanna. She giggled and excused herself from the conversation she was having with Cassidy.

Marius was currently dancing with Ella, Enjolras was dancing with Sara, Eponine was dancing with Gavroche and Courfrayac was dancing with Joly. Cassidy sighed and watched them.

"Cassidy, would you dance with me?" Combeferre asked. She nodded and followed him to the dance floor. She lifted her dress as she danced, not wanting to trip over it. "You look so beautiful."

"That's kind of you to say, Combeferre." Cassidy told him.

The dance ended and everyone went to their seats, except for Ella. Someone handed her a microphone.

"Could my dad and my new mom join me on stage, please?" Ella asked. Marius took Cassidy's hand and led her to the stage.

"Ella, what are you doing?" Marius asked.

"You'll see," Ella told him. She then spoke into the mic, "Cassidy has been in my life for two years and I want to give her and my dad something special. They're going on an African Safari for their honeymoon, so I thought I would give them this," she handed the mic to Cassidy and presented them with a leopard-print book, "it's a scrapbook to fill with pictures of your adventure on your honeymoon and your life together."

Marius and Cassidy kissed Ella and thanked her for the scrapbook. They took it to the head table as the music resumed.

"I haven't had a chance to dance with the groom yet. Is that all right, Cassidy?" Bridget asked. Cassidy nodded and went to the dance floor with Cedric.

"Want to tell me what happened between you and da?" Cedric asked as they waltzed around the floor.

"He showed up, without an invitation, trying to talk me out of marrying Marius and how Ryan was better for me." Cassidy answered.

"I didn't know he would do that. I'm sorry." Cedric said.

"It's all right, Ced," Cassidy told her brother. He spun her around and Cassidy froze in her tracks – her father was standing at the entrance to the reception hall. "Oh no! He's here!"

"Where?" Cedric asked as the music stopped. Cassidy pointed to the entrance of the reception hall. Her father was still standing there, eyes narrowed, glaring at Cassidy. "Thomas!"

Cassidy watched as her brothers walked to the entrance of the reception hall. She heard a lot of swearing and screaming in both Gaelic and Irish. She felt Marius come up beside her and wrap his arms around her.

"You all right?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Who's that man?"

"My father." Cassidy answered, watching her brothers escort her father out of the reception hall.

"Your father?" Marius questioned. Cassidy nodded and leaned back against him. He kissed her and drew her even closer to him.

Thomas and Cedric came back over to Cassidy, assuring her that everything was taken care of.

"You two might want to go home and pack." Thomas told the newlyweds.

By this time, most of the guests had left, including Ella and Anton. While Marius and Cassidy were on their honeymoon, the kids would be staying with Courfrayac and Joly.

The couple went to their house and quickly packed a suitcase and laid out the clothes they were going to wear the following morning.

Cassidy undressed and put the dress back in its box, shoving it under the bed for now. She then slipped into the bathroom to put on the lingerie that Eponine had gotten her at her bridal shower. It was blood-red with black lace around the bottom.

Marius was lying on the bed, but sat up when Cassidy entered the room. She smiled and laid on top of him, covering him with kisses. Marius deepened the kisses as his hands went to the straps of the lingerie and rubbed Cassidy's shoulders. She took off his sleep shirt and boxers in one quick movement.

"Be careful, all right?" Cassidy whispered in Marius' ear. He nodded and removed the lingerie. He was now on top of her and smiled down at his bride.

"I will." Marius promised. Cassidy closed her eyes as she felt him go inside her.

They made love well into the night, which Cassidy didn't mind. She moaned with pleasure as Marius kissed and touched her in all the right spots. Marius even let out little moans of pleasure, which Cassidy giggled about.

The two of them were now asleep in each other's ears when the alarm clock made them sit up in bed. They took a shower together then got dressed.

Enjolras drove them to the airport, telling the couple to have fun on their African Safari. Marius and Cassidy promised that they would bring back souvenirs for everyone.

"I had forgotten how bad the malaria shots hurt!" Cassidy complained, rubbing her arm. A month ago, Cassidy and Marius had gotten shots and a lot of pills. There had been a malaria outbreak that killed 100 people in the course of five days. Cassidy received double shots, since she was carrying twins.

"It's not bothering you now, is it?" Marius questioned. Cassidy shook her head and kissed him. "You look beautiful right now."

She was wearing purple Capri's, a purple T-shirt and had her hair in braided pigtails. She wore sneakers on her feet.

"Notice anything different?" Cassidy asked, sticking out her neck. Marius looked down her neck and noticed the dog tags were gone.

"You took off your dog tags!" Marius answered, kissing the bare spot where the dog tags once hung. In the dog tags place was a silver chain with a Celtic Knot cross charm.

"They're in the drawer on my night stand." Cassidy told Marius as their flight was called.

They found their seats and sat down. Cassidy sat next to the window and Marius sat in the middle.

Once it was okay to get out electric devices that were approved by the airline, Cassidy got out her laptop and put in The Lion King, Marius watching over her shoulder.

Cassidy fell asleep towards the middle of the movie. Marius put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, anxious to see what life had in store for the two of them.


	12. Honeymoon Bliss

CHAPTER TWELVE  
(chapter title – Honeymoon Bliss)

It was 1:30 PM the following day when the plane landed in Africa. Cassidy sat up and rubbed her eyes. She put her laptop away, along with its charger. She gathered her backpack and stood up, banging her head on the low ceiling.

"Ow!" Cassidy yelped, rubbing her head. Marius kissed the spot where she had banged it.

They exited the plane and saw a tall skinny-as-a-string-bean African-American man holding a sign that said 'Marius and Cassidy Pontmercy'.

"Ah Mtambo! Hello!" Marius called, taking Cassidy's hand and brought her over. "This is my wife, Cassidy. Cassidy, this is my friend Mtambo. I met him when he came to the States a few years ago."

"Nice to meet you." Cassidy greeted Mtambo, shaking his hand.

"Marius has told me all about you. Cassidy, you are a lovely vision," Mtambo told Cassidy, his voice heavy with a thick African accent that Cassidy couldn't place. He turned to Marius, "we get your bags then we see the savannah." Cassidy noted that he called Marius 'Mary us.' He called her 'Cass a dee.'

The couple nodded and followed Mtambo to baggage claim. Cassidy leaned against Marius as a warm breeze drifted through the open airport doors.

"Flight okay?" Mtambo asked as they went to a bus. The three of them climbed on and couldn't find seats together. Cassidy sat next to a young girl selling something, while Marius and Mtambo stood towards the back of the bus. Marius smiled and waved at Cassidy. She smiled and waved back, turning to the girl next to her.

"Hello." Cassidy greeted the girl. The girl smiled and said something to Cassidy in a language she didn't understand.

The bus rolled on for a long time. Cassidy was bored instantly, so she looked out the window. She thought she saw a vulture circling up ahead, its massive wingspan spreading across the sky.

Mtambo, Marius and Cassidy got off the bus at a large wooden fence. Mtambo punched in a complicated code on a keypad near the fence. The fence opened slowly and the three of them walked forward.

Cassidy couldn't believe what she saw – animals and people were everywhere. She saw a young girl leading a lion cub on a leather leash, like one would walk a dog. She also saw a female ostrich running after four boys, the boys laughed, while the ostrich squawked loudly. Women walked by while they balanced full baskets on their heads, talking amongst themselves.

Four men walked by, along with goats, dogs, and to Cassidy's surprise, a leopard. The leopard stared at Cassidy – its green eyes sparkling in the sun. It looked at Cassidy for a while before limping off. Cassidy noticed it only had three legs – it had both of its back legs, but was missing its left front leg.

"This is The Land of Good and Lucky Animals and People." Mtambo told Marius and Cassidy, leading them even further into the community. People greeted Marius, Cassidy and Mtambo as they walked by. Cassidy smiled as six girls placed a white garland around her neck and said something to her that she could not understand. They also put a white garland around Marius' neck and said the same greeting to him.

"What sort of lucky animals and people live here?" Marius inquired as he watched children between the ages of six and fourteen kick a leather ball on a field. He realized they were playing soccer. The kids were mostly boys, but he saw a couple girls playing, too.

"It is a combination orphanage and wildlife preserve. The adults who live here, like myself, help both the children and animals," Mtambo explained. Cassidy saw his eyes turn sad as he looked at her, "my wife and I started this, but she died of malaria two years ago. She could not get the treatments right away. She was also carrying our first child."

"I'm so sorry, Mtambo." Cassidy apologized, hugging him. Mtambo smiled and hugged Cassidy back.

"I will leave you two to change then we go on the savannah. There's a giraffe out there that's about to have a baby. We may need to help." Mtambo told the couple as he spoke into a walkie-talkie.

Marius and Cassidy entered a tent and quickly changed their clothes. They then joined Mtambo and another man he introduced as Jonathon.

"Jonathon is going to drive while I tell you about the wonders and dangers of the savannah." Mtambo told the couple, helping them into a vehicle that Cassidy had only seen on the nature channel. "Giraffes, zebras, elephants, water buffalo, ostriches and antelopes are nice. Lions, leopards, rhinos and hippos are bad.

There are also some poisonous plants and good plants out there. Where we are going, there are no poisonous plants to worry about." Mtambo explained as they headed out of the community and sped to the savannah.

"How long is a giraffe pregnant for?" Cassidy asked, clinging to her favorite sunhat for dear life.

"Almost fifteen months. This giraffe we're going to see is one of my favorites. You'll see why soon." Mtambo answered, talking to Jonathon in some language that neither Marius or Cassidy could understand.

They reached a wooded area where a beautiful light-brown spotted giraffe was standing. She had large chocolate-brown eyes, long lashes and was extremely tall. Her shoulder came to Mtambo's head and her neck reached the top of the tree she was standing next to.

"This is Jewel, a first time mother. I raised her when her own mother died during the birth." Mtambo told Marius and Cassidy.

"What do you want us to do?" Cassidy asked as Jonathon handed her a carrot. Jewel eyed Cassidy and lowered her head, wrapping her slimy tongue around Cassidy's hand. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!"

Marius laughed and Cassidy wiped giraffe slime on his shirt.

"Marius and Cassidy keep her calm while I check the baby." Mtambo instructed Cassidy and Marius.

"Hi Jewel. You are certainly the most beautiful giraffe I've ever seen." Marius told her, reaching out to pet her when a contraction seared through her. Her head jerked up and Cassidy could see the whites of her eyes.

"Easy, easy Jewel. You're okay. Shh," Cassidy soothed, stroking Jewel's leg. She looked at Mtambo. "How's it going?"

"The baby is breeched. We need to take her to the reserve. She'll be safe there." Mtambo said, tossing Cassidy a giraffe-sized halter. "Put this over her head. She will follow."

Cassidy found another treat and had Marius feed her while she put the halter on Jewel. She tossed her head up, nearly dragging Cassidy.

"Hey! Come on Jewel! It's okay!" Cassidy soothed, guiding her to the waiting car. She tied the lead rope to the top of the car as Jonathon drove as fast as he could back to the reserve. Jewel cantered behind them, snorting and throwing a fit.

Mtambo took Jewel to a tent near the back of the reserve while Marius and Cassidy had dinner with everyone.

They were reading in their tent when Mtambo entered, a smile on his face.

"The baby is fine, so is Jewel. She had a beautiful little boy. Would you like to see?" Mtambo asked. Marius and Cassidy nodded, exited the tent and followed Mtambo to the tent where Jewel was.

"How did you get him out?" Cassidy asked as she and Marius stood on a platform looking down at Jewel and her baby.

"She corrected it herself. She is so proud." Mtambo answered, watching Jewel and her baby bond. Currently, the little guy was finding his footing and kept tumbling over.

"He's so cute!" Cassidy squeaked. "Does he have a name yet?"

"We don't name the babies until they are twenty days old." Mtambo answered, going down the ramp to a platform four feet down. He looked up and signaled for Marius and Cassidy to follow him.

"Would you look at that!" Marius marveled, squeezing Cassidy's hand. She squeezed his hand back and rested her head on his shoulder.

Jewel had laid down and looked at her baby. He was the spitting image of his mother, complete with big brown eyes, long eyelashes and the same black nose. If he lived to see his twenty-day-old birthday, Cassidy would suggest the name Image for the baby giraffe.

"You two better get some sleep. Chores start early around here," Mtambo told Cassidy and Marius. "Be prepared to do anything – cleaning up after animals, going to town, going on a mission with me. Dress in light clothing."

Marius and Cassidy thanked Mtambo and went to their tent.

"How are we going to make out with this mosquito net between us?" Marius asked as Cassidy closed the tent flap. Cassidy looked like she was going to be sick. "Honey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is there any water here?" Cassidy asked. Marius nodded and handed her a bottle of water. She drank all of it.

"I'll see if Mtambo will let you off easy tomorrow. It looks like you're a little dehydrated, which isn't good when you're carrying twins." Marius said as Cassidy joined him, dressed in nothing but her bra and underwear. Marius wore his boxer shorts to bed.

Cassidy rested her head on Marius' shoulder. She fell asleep instantly. Marius removed her glasses, stroked her hair and kissed her temple before falling asleep.

Someone blowing a horn extremely early the following morning made Marius jump a mile in the air. He looked over and saw Cassidy fast asleep on top of the sheets, curled in the fetal position, which couldn't be comfortable for her.

Marius got up and went to shower in a small chamber in the back of their tent. Several girls giggled as Marius sung and showered. He looked up and his face turned beet red – there was no shower door.

The girls giggled to themselves and continued to stare at Marius.

"Girls, I'm married!" Marius told them, showing them his wedding band. That didn't stop them from staring. It wasn't until Cassidy joined him that they walked away.

"What were they staring at?" Cassidy asked, pressing herself against Marius and screamed as the water turned ice cold.

"Me. I don't know why." Marius answered, kissing Cassidy, his hands going on either side of her body.

They finished their shower and changed into the lightest clothes they could find. They then went to eat some breakfast before finding out what they were doing that day.

Mtambo paired them together to take care of some of the orphaned animals. Cassidy smiled as a baby gorilla was placed in her arms, along with a bottle.

She sat down on a rocking chair and fed the tiny male gorilla. He was thirty days old and was named Kovu. Marius was bottle-feeding his twin sister named Kiara.

Once the babies were fed, Cassidy played with some baby lions while Marius fed a baby vulture.

"Ouch! Zazu! You're gonna bite off my finger!" Marius told the vulture as he fed him. Cassidy smiled and exited the lion pen.

"I'll play with you guys later. I promise." Cassidy said.

The two of them either played or fed the orphans in the enclosure. Cassidy felt her heart freeze in her chest as a baby giraffe was led in. She sighed when she realized the giraffe was female.

Cassidy's favorite animal she got to play with was a baby zebra. The little guy was extremely gentle as Cassidy bottle-fed him. She stroked his soft baby fur as he drunk the bottle. He then butted Cassidy's arm when he was done.

She chased him around his pen and he whinnied happily. Mtambo had told Cassidy that zebras weren't related to horses. They were more in the donkey family.

After a quick lunch break, they played with more animals – a water buffalo, antelope, hippo and alligator. While Marius fed a baby hornbill, Cassidy carefully fed the baby alligator. It snapped its jaws and growled at her.

"N-nice g-g-gator." Cassidy told the alligator, carefully feeding it rotten meat, which made her gag.

Towards evening, Mtambo came to relive them of chores. Cassidy and Marius thanked them and exited the enclosure.

Cassidy took a shower and felt someone watching her. Turning around, she saw the three-legged leopard staring at her.

"Nice kitty." Cassidy said. It growled, but didn't attack. Cassidy quickly finished her shower and put her pajamas on.

"Everything okay?" Marius asked as he blew up the air mattress that Mtambo had given him.

"Yeah – there was a leopard watching me." Cassidy answered, wrapping her arms around Marius' neck.

"The three-legged leopard? That's Sarabi. She won't hurt you." Marius said, finishing blowing up the mattress. Cassidy laid down upon it and was instantly comfortable.

"So much better than sleeping on the floor." Cassidy said as Marius set up the mosquito nets and closed the tent flap. He then went over to Cassidy and took her in his arms.

He pulled her on top of him, covering her neck with kisses. Cassidy pulled his shirt off him as his hands went under her shirt and lifted it off her head. He then unhooked her bra and discarded it. Cassidy closed her eyes as Marius kissed each of her breasts, his hands going between her legs. He removed her underwear and felt around.

Cassidy took off Marius' boxers and felt him extend in her hands. She smiled and brought her head down, kissing the tip of his shaft.

The two of them made love for a while before falling asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Before they knew it, their honeymoon was over. They made sure to get presents for everyone, including something for their twins.

Mtambo drove them to the airport while Marius and Cassidy slept in the backseat. Their flight left at 9:55 and it was now 5:45. The airport was a three hour drive from the reservation.

It was a bittersweet goodbye, but Mtambo promised that he would visit Mary us and Cass a dee soon. They hugged their dear friend, went through security and went to find their gate that would take them home.

"I had the most wonderful time. What about you?" Marius asked Cassidy as she got a chocolate chip bagel from the bagel cart.

"I had a lot of fun." Cassidy answered, taking a bite of her bagel. Marius took a big bite of her bagel as their plane number was called. Cassidy carefully stood up, got her backpack and held Marius' hand. He squeezed her hand and boarded the plane, Cassidy right behind him.

Cassidy sat next to the window, Marius sat in the middle, like last time. A woman and her young baby sat next to Marius. Marius smiled at the baby as the woman put on her seatbelt.

"How old is your baby?" Marius asked.

"She's six months old," The woman answered, adjusting the sling that the baby slept in. "Do you have any children?"

"We have a twelve-year-old, a two-year-old and are expecting twins in six months." Marius responded.

"That's quite a gap between your oldest and your two-year-old." The woman remarked.

"It took my first wife and I a long time to conceive our son – the two-year-old." Marius said, looking at Cassidy. She was fast asleep, head resting against the window.

"First wife?" the woman asked, slightly confused.

"Yeah, she died the day after our son was born. She had septic poisoning," Marius answered, squeezing Cassidy's hand. "I met Cassidy here through my daughter a year ago."

"She is pretty." The woman told Marius, smiling.

"Is she your only child?" Marius asked.

"I have an eight-year-old and a four-and-a-half-year old waiting for me at home. I brought her along because she's not only the best behaved baby, she loves going with me whenever she can." The woman said.

"She certainly likes airplanes. Is she your only daughter?"

"No, my oldest is a girl and the four-and-a-half-year-old is my son."

"What are your kids names?"

"My oldest is Brianna, the middle is Brandon and this is Bianca. What about yours?"

"My oldest is Ella, the two-year-old is Anton and we don't know what we're having, so the twins are unnamed for now."

"I'm Brenda, by the way."

"I'm Marius and sleeping beauty here is Cassidy."

"That's an interesting name – Marius."

"Thanks. It's French. No idea what it means. It was my mother's favorite name."

"It suits you. If you were my baby, I would've named you Marius."

Marius smiled at the compliment.

"So, Brenda, what do you and your husband do for work?"

"I'm a wildlife photographer and my husband is a chef at a hotel. What about you and Cassidy?"

"I'm a lawyer and Cassidy is a horseback riding instructor."

"Who's watching Ella and Anton?"

"My two best friends – Courfrayac and Joly. We spent two months in Africa helping out at a nature reservation and an orphanage for our honeymoon."

"I love hearing about that sort of thing. Which orphanage and nature reservation was it?"

"The Land of Good and Lucky Animals and People."

"Interesting."

Bianca started stirring, so Marius stopped talking and turned to Cassidy, who was still sleeping. He kissed her temple and brought her over to him. He then turned his attention to the in-flight movie – The Heat. Marius found his earphones and watched the movie, laughing out loud at some parts.

Towards the middle of the next in-flight movie – Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters – Marius started to get sleepy. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the headrest.

Cassidy was now awake, sort of, and had to pee. She unfastened her seatbelt, climbed over Marius and went to find the bathroom.

She relived herself and went back to her seat. She sat down and rested her head on Marius' shoulder.

They reached the airport the following morning. Cassidy bonked her head on the low ceiling again. Marius kissed it and helped Cassidy off the airplane, saying goodbye to Brenda as they exited the plane.

Eponine and Enjolras were waiting for them in the terminal. Cassidy stiffly walked over to them as Marius hugged both of them.

"So, how was it? I want to hear everything!" Eponine told Cassidy.

"It was so much fun and I feel like I made such a difference." Cassidy told Eponine as the four of them walked to baggage claim.

Cassidy dug around in her suitcase and found the meercat salt and pepper shakers for Eponine and Enjolras. The couple smiled and hugged Cassidy.

"That's what we got everyone, except their different animals. We even got Sara and Jolene something," Marius said, digging in his suitcase for the baby gorilla stuffed animals. "On our first day there, we got to feed twin gorillas named Kovu and Kiara."

"They will love them, especially Jolene." Eponine said, hugging Marius.

Marius and Cassidy found the car and drove home. They would get the kids the following morning.

Cassidy slept until two the next afternoon. Marius went to get the kids while Cassidy continued to sleep. Marius figured it was jet lag.

He gave the kids their presents – a stuffed wild buffalo for Anton and a stuffed giraffe for Ella. Right away, she named him Image, just like the baby giraffe that Jewel had delivered. He had lived to see his twenty-day-old birthday and Mtambo had loved the name that Cassidy had suggested.

Marius then went to check on Cassidy, who was still sleeping. He gently nudged her and she opened her eyes.

"It's time to go to your appointment, just to see how the twins are doing." Marius told Cassidy. She nodded and followed him out the door.

Cassidy was now four months pregnant, but wasn't gaining enough weight for both babies. At this appointment, she would be seeing how much each twin weighed and talk to the doctor about more options about what she could be doing to gain the weight she needed for the twins.

"Baby A weighs 4.5 pounds and Baby B weighs 4.3 pounds. Both sound extremely healthy, but Cassidy, I'm worried about you. You don't seem to be gaining the weight you need. I'm going to start you on a diet that will give you the weight you need so that you can eat for three. Right now, you're eating like you're carrying one baby." The doctor told Cassidy. She sighed and got off the examining table.

"They're healthy, though, right?" Cassidy asked.

"As horses, yeah." The doctor answered, handing Cassidy a laminated piece of paper.

"Salads, soups, steamed vegetables, pasta – yum!" Cassidy read some of the foods on the page.

"In two months, you can find out what you're having." The doctor told Cassidy. Cassidy thanked the doctor as she left the room. Marius entered and helped Cassidy get dressed. He had gone to the bathroom and was just now entering the room.

"What did the doctor say?" Marius asked as he helped Cassidy put her clothes back on.

"She said that she's worried about me not gaining enough weight. She also said I'm supposed to be eating for three." Cassidy answered as she put her underwear and jeans back on. Marius kissed her cheek and gave her hand a squeeze.

They exited the room and walked out of the clinic. They had lunch and good conversation at a restaurant called The Dancing Gnome.

After lunch, they headed home, Cassidy feeling happier about what the doctor had told her. She had eaten a whole garden salad, grilled cheese sandwich, chicken noodle soup and half a piece of chocolate cake.

Marius couldn't believe how much that Cassidy had eaten, but he knew that she was trying to get the correct baby weight she needed.

Cassidy took a nap while Marius played with Anton. Ella was at her horseback riding lesson. Windy had been weaned from Hope, which either girl was happy about. Ella was riding Hope for the first time in a long time.

When Ella came home, the four of them ordered a cheese pizza. Cassidy ate five pieces, Ella had one, Marius had one and Anton had one.

After pizza, Cassidy took a shower and went to bed, finally satisfied that she was gaining the weight she needed.


	13. New Arrivals

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
(chapter title – New Arrivals)

_Two months later_

Marius, Cassidy, Ella and Anton were at the clinic to see what Cassidy would be having. Marius helped Cassidy onto the examining table and rolled up her shirt over her exposed stomach as the doctor entered with an ultrasound machine.

"Hi! You guys must be Ella and Anton! Your mom and dad talk about you two all the time! I'm Dr. Nelson." Dr. Nelson introduced herself to the kids. They smiled and watched her place some gel on their mother's stomach.

"Kids, come here." Cassidy whispered, motioning the kids over. She motioned to the screen and pointed to the two babies growing inside her.

"Wow! Is that my little brother and sister?" Ella asked.

"It is. Your little brother is on top and your little sister is on the bottom, right under your brother's butt." Dr. Nelson told the kids.

"Baby!" Anton whispered. Marius smiled and kissed the top of Anton's head.

"Cassidy, I am so proud of you – both babies are gaining the weight they need. They look and sound healthy. I want to run an autism test on them, okay?" Dr. Nelson told Cassidy. She nodded and watched the doctor put some red dye on a needle and slowly eject it between Cassidy's legs. She squeezed the death out of Marius' hand when it happened.

The three adults looked to the screen and saw no traces of the red dye anywhere. Marius kissed the top of Cassidy's head as he helped her sit up. The doctor gave the kids a sticker as Marius helped Cassidy get dressed.

"I don't feel well, so I'm gonna lay down." Cassidy announced as they entered the house. Marius kissed her forehead as she went to the master bedroom.

"Feel better," Marius called after her as Ella cantered into the room, dressed in full English riding gear. "Uncle Enjolras should be here soon to take you to your lesson."

"I want you to take me, dad." Ella said. Ever since he and Cassidy came back from Africa, Ella was acting more clingy than usual.

"I have to take care of your mom and Anton. Have fun riding." Marius told Ella, going to his study, which also acted as the playroom.

Ella sighed and went to watch for Enjolras while Marius worked. Anton played quietly on the other side of Marius' study.

"BYE DAD!" Ella called as she ran out the door. Marius looked up and told his daughter to have a great lesson and he would see her later.

An hour later, Ella came back home, a big grin on her face. Marius was fixing dinner for his family. Cassidy was still sleeping and Anton was playing with his trucks in the living room.

"How was your lesson on Hope?" Marius asked, layering cheese on the lasagna he was making.

"Really good. Uncle Joly says that we're ready for a big horse show next month!" Ella answered, helping herself to an apple, "I'm gonna take a shower then I'll set the table."

"Okay. Enjolras, Eponine, Sara and Jolene are coming for dinner." Marius told her as she went to the bathroom.

She emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, wearing some comfortable clothes. She sang as she set the table for eight people.

"Remove one of the place settings – your mom isn't going to eat with us." Marius told Ella. She sighed and put one of the place settings away.

Enjolras, Eponine, Sara and Jolene arrived ten minutes later, just as Ella was pouring water into glasses.

"Hi everyone! Where's Cassidy?" Eponine asked.

"She's laying down, but said she might join us later." Marius answered, hugging his four friends.

The seven of them sat in the living room while Sara, Ella, Anton and Jolene played on the floor nearby.

After dinner and dessert, Eponine and Enjolras took the girls home, thanking Marius for a great evening.

Ella offered to do dishes while Marius put Anton to bed then went to check on Cassidy.

She was asleep with her special pillow between her legs, her arms wrapped around it. She had her head on the pillow that Marius used, but he didn't care. Just as long as Cassidy was comfortable, that was all Marius cared about.

He climbed in beside her and held her in his strong arms. He then carefully put Cassidy on her side of the bed and laid next to her, holding her close.

_A month later_

Cassidy was put under anesthesia as Marius squeezed her hand. He sat in the chair next to her bed. He was dressed in teal scrubs and Cassidy was in a pink hospital gown.

The twins were coming four days before their actual due date. Marius kissed Cassidy's hand and watched the doctor and the team of four nurses get to work.

"Marius, come here!" Dr. Nelson told Marius. He let go of Cassidy's hand and walked over to where the doctor was. He smiled when he saw his little girl come out of Cassidy's stomach.

The doctor showed him where to cut the cord. Marius felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched his little girl go get cleaned up, weighed, measured and wrapped in a pink blanket.

His little boy arrived fifteen minutes later. He was cleaned up, measured, weighed and wrapped in a blue blanket.

"What are their names?" the doctor asked.

"Cosette Joy and Ryan James."

"They're perfect. Congratulations. Nurse Liz is going to put them in the nursery while Cassidy goes to recovery." The doctor told Marius. He nodded and went to tell his family what was going on.

"Dad? What happened? Is mom okay?" Ella asked. Anton was playing with Jolene while Sara, Ella, Courfrayac, Joly, Valjean, Javert, Eponine, Enjolras, Gavroche, Bridget, Thomas, Combeferre, Jehan, Grantaire, Bahorel and Feuilly occupied the chairs in the waiting room.

"The twins have arrived! We named them Cosette Joy and Ryan James. Cosette was born first as 11:24 AM, weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces and is 15.6 inches long. Ryan came fifteen minutes later, weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces and is 15.4 inches long. Both are healthy and are in the nursery. Cassidy is in recovery and will stay there for an hour. Ella and Anton can come in an hour to see their little brother and sister." Marius told the people in front of him.

"What about the rest of us?" Gavroche asked.

"I can take you to see the twins in the nursery," Marius answered taking them to the nursery. "They're in the middle, second and third ones from the right."

Everyone oohed and ahhed over the babies. Marius looked over and saw Eponine rest her head on Enjolras' shoulder.

Once the group was done looking at the babies, they went to do their separate things while Marius took Ella and Anton back to see Cassidy.

They entered the room where Cassidy would be and turned on the overhead light. Marius put out the flowers that loved ones had given him while Ella put the stuffed animals out. Anton played with his toys in the middle of the floor. Marius moved him when Cassidy and the babies were brought into the room.

"Hi mom." Ella whispered, kissing the top of Cassidy's forehead.

"Hi." She croaked, looking over at Marius. He was holding Cosette while Ryan slept.

"They're perfect." Marius whispered, continuing to look at Cosette. She was sleeping and looked like a little angel.

"May I hold one?" Ella asked.

"Yes, you may," Marius answered, watching her put on hand sanitizer and sit in the rocking chair, handing Ella Cosette. "Mind her head."

"I know how to hold babies, dad," Ella reminded her dad, looking into her little sister's face. "I can't wait to start a family of my own."

"I wanna hold baby!" Anton announced.

Marius helped Anton hold Ryan, not trusting the two-year-old to hold a baby by himself.

Ella put Cosette in her incubator and motioned for Anton to follow her. They exited the room and went to the hospital cafeteria, letting Marius and Cassidy be with the babies.

Ryan started crying. Marius picked him up and held him against his chest.

"It's all right, shh. You're okay," Marius soothed, feeling Ryan's bottom. It wasn't wet. "Are you hungry?"

Cassidy was two steps ahead of Marius. She sat up in the hospital bed and was already unsnapping her hospital gown. Marius placed Ryan in Cassidy's arms. He watched her guide him to her breast.

He latched on and suckled loudly just as Cosette started crying. Marius picked her up and brought her to the changing table – she was wet. He changed her and kissed her forehead. She continued crying, so Marius brought her over to Cassidy.

She put Cosette to her other breast. She latched on and also nursed loudly.

"They are too precious." Marius said, taking pictures of the three of them.

Once the twins were finished nursing, Marius burped them and placed them in their incubators. He then sat next to Cassidy and held her hand in his.

"I'll take care of them tonight." Marius told Cassidy.

"Wake me if they need to be fed." Cassidy said, her voice tired and heavy with sleep.

The following day, the doctor gave Marius and Cassidy the okay to take the twins home. Marius and Valjean changed and held the twins while Cassidy used the bathroom and changed into some comfortable clothes.

Marius and Valjean got the twins in their carseats while Cosette climbed in the car. The twins were next to each other and were currently asleep.

"How are they, Cass?" Marius asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Cassidy.

"They're asleep." Cassidy answered, smiling at her babies.

When they arrived at the Pontmercy's, Valjean got the door while Cassidy and Marius got the twins out of their carseats. Marius held Ryan while Cassidy held Cosette.

"They couldn't be more perfect." Cassidy whispered as she placed Cosette in her crib as Marius placed Ryan in his.

"I agree completely." Marius whispered back, closing the nursery door.

"I'm going to pump then take a shower." Cassidy announced. Marius looked up from his sandwich and got Cassidy the supplies she needed. Valjean had taken Cassidy to her ballet class and had taken Anton with him.

Marius went back to quickly finish his sandwich before the babies woke up. He picked up his dishes and put them in the dishwasher just as Cassidy exited the master bedroom, carrying six bottles in her hands.

Marius put the bottles in the fridge while Cassidy got her pumping supplies. She washed them in sudsy water and put them on a towel to dry.

"Have they woken up yet?" Cassidy asked as she and Marius went to the master bedroom.

"Not yet, but I will tend to them if they wake." Marius assured her, kissing her forehead and went to the living room.

Cassidy took a fifteen minute shower, threw some comfortable clothes on and went to join Marius. He looked over at her and smiled as she sat down next to him.

"You are so beautiful, you know that, right?" Marius told Cassidy, taking her in his arms.

"I don't feel beautiful right now." Cassidy told Marius, feeling him kiss her neck.

Cassidy could only take so much before she fell asleep. Marius couldn't blame her for being exhausted.

He placed one last kiss on her forehead before turning off the overhead light. He then turned on the monitor and kept an ear out for the twins.

They woke up almost every hour and Marius was happy to tend to them while Cassidy slept – she deserved it. He only woke her up when the twins needed to be fed, but other than that, Marius handled it on his own.

As he sang You Are My Sunshine to Ryan, Marius thought about what sort of people his children would grow up to be.


	14. Cassidy's Point of View - part 1

CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
(chapter title – Cassidy's Point of View – part 1)

_Six months later_

Marius and I were playing with the twins when Ella entered the house and slammed the door behind her.

"Want me to talk to her?" I asked, looking down at Cosette. She looked exactly like Marius while Ryan looked exactly like me.

"Better let her be for a while. Who knows what is going on in that head of hers." Marius told me. I wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"I better go – she might need advice or something," I told him, handing him Cosette before standing up and went to Ella's bedroom door. "Ella? Sweetheart? You okay?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled.

"I want to talk to you. Can I come in?" I asked, trying the doorknob – locked.

"I WANT TO BE ALONE! I'M HAVING A REALLY BAD DAY!" Ella shouted, her voice muffled by the door. Since turning thirteen, Ella's bad days had gone from bad to worse. I don't understand what's happening to her.

"Ella, honey, please let me in. I'm wanting to know what is going on with you." I told her.

I heard the doorknob unlock and the door swung inward. Ella stared at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. I entered the room and closed the door behind us.

"Tell me what's wrong, honey." I started, sitting next to Ella on the bed. She hugged her stuffed moose and laid on her back, knees close together.

"I was supposed to go riding on Hope today, but uncle Joly told me she had a really bad colic attack last night, Sara's not returning any of my texts or emails and I found out this guy I like at school likes Charlotte. He's even asking her to the dance this weekend!" Ella listed off her fingers.

"I'm so sorry about Hope, but she'll get better soon. I heard your dad talking to either Eponine or Enjolras – Sara's grounded because of her bad grades and there are other fish in the sea. Worse case, if you can't find a date, we'll go to a movie or something." I told Ella. She smiled at me and threw her arms around my waist.

"Thanks, mom. I love it when we talk." Ella told me. I smiled and kissed her cheek before exiting her room. On her birthday, she had stopped calling me Cassidy and started calling me 'mom'. I loved it when she called me mom.

I walked out to the kitchen and saw Marius playing with the twins and Anton. Anton was three-years-old and such a cutie pie. Marius saw me and looked up.

"The twins are supposed to be down for the night," I reminded Marius, picking up Ryan, "why are they still up?"

"I was getting there, dearest." Marius told me as he picked up Cosette. The two of us walked to the nursery, sang the twins You Are My Sunshine, put the twins in their cribs and exited the room, turning off the light behind us.

"Ella, could you set the table for dinner, please?" Marius asked as I went to check on the tilapia – it was taking a while to cook, but it looked like it would be done soon.

"Sure. After I'm done, can I make broccoli?" Ella asked.

"That would be great. Thanks." I spoke up, going to the oven and checked on the fish. I sighed and put it on plates. I then remembered to stir Anton's macaroni and cheese. We were eating early because all of us had things to do that night – I had lessons to teach, Marius was due in court and Ella had a tennis tournament she was participating in. Javert offered to watch Anton and the twins for us.

Dinner was ready and we all sat down just as the house phone rang. I put plates on the table as Marius handed the phone to me, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Who is it?" I asked, taking the phone from him.

"Evanna – she sounds upset." He told me, finishing putting plates on the table.

I went to Marius' study and closed the door. I then sat down on the leather couch and spoke into the receiver.

"Hello?"

"_He's dead_!" Evanna blurted out. I was confused.

"Who's dead?" I asked.

"_Cedric. He was crossin' the street to go to work. A car came out of nowhere and hit him. He died on the way to hospital_." Evanna cried. I felt my stomach drop to the floor.

"How long ago did this happen?" I asked, running my thumb and forefinger over the Celtic cross charm that hung around my neck.

"_This mornin'._"

"Oh God."

"_We – Bridget, Thomas and I – would like your help on plannin' somethin_."

"Evanna, I don't know – we're extremely busy here." I felt tears well up in my eyes and blinked them back. This was such a shock to our family.

"_It would mean the world to us if you came_."

"I would have to talk to Marius first. If we did come, we would have to bring the twins – they're still nursing. I suppose Ella and Anton can stay with either Javert or Feuilly and Jehan."

"_Call me back soon, okay_?"

"I will. Give Kathleen, Robert and Rose hugs for me."

"_I will. God bless you, Cassidy_."

"God bless you, too."

I hung up the phone and rose on shaky legs. I exited the study and went to where my family was. At this point, I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks and felt a knot forming in my throat.

"Cass? Honey? What's wrong?" Marius asked, taking me aside.

"That was Evanna," I started, my voice shaking, "my brother, Cedric, was hit and killed by a car this morning. She wants us to come to Ireland."

I felt him wrap his arms around me and kiss my neck.

"I'm so sorry. I really liked Cedric," Marius told me. "How soon does Evanna want us to come?"

"As soon as possible." I told him, breaking out of the hug. I then went to get my laptop and looked at flights while Marius went to tell Ella and Anton what had happened. I heard Ella cry out and Anton ask all sorts of questions. I saw that there was a flight leaving tomorrow at 9:50 in the morning for Ireland. I got us boarding passes – we were in row CC, seats 5 and 6. Each of us would hold a twin on our laps while we went to Ireland.

"You find anything?" Marius asked, watching me get a large suitcase from the hall closet.

"There's a flight that leaves tomorrow morning at 9:50. I take it that Ella and Anton didn't take the news well." I noted, packing clothes, both warm and not, into the suitcase. He looked for hotels while I packed clothes for myself and the twins. They would be going with us since they were still nursing. Ella was still in school and Anton didn't travel well – he got really bad ear infections.

"Jehan and Feuilly said they would be willing to stay with Ella and Anton while we're gone." Marius told me as he packed a suitcase for himself.

I didn't bother to ask about Eponine, Enjolras, Sara or Jolene – they were out of town – Enjolras' mother had died and Sara was still grounded. Courfrayac and Joly were also out of town – they were at a horse show. Gavroche and his girlfriend, Jeanette, were watching Courfrayac and Joly's farm while they were gone.

"Good. I haven't seen them since the wedding." I said, feeling tears sting the back of my eyes. I broke down and cried, the blow of losing my brother hit me like a strong gust of wind.

Marius dropped some clothes into the suitcase and sat next to me, stroking my hair and telling me everything was going to be okay.

We had finished packing and were watching a new show that Marius was addicted to. It was called The White Queen and was extremely well-written and had some very cute British actors in it, which made it even better.

"Mom, I am so sorry for the loss of Uncle Cedric." Ella said as she came into the room. Marius looked over and lowered the volume. I sat up and smiled at her. She hugged me and I hugged her back.

"Ella, you should get some sleep – you have school tomorrow." Marius told Ella.

"I know, dad. I was just coming in to say goodnight to you guys. I put Anton to bed and changed Cosette. Ryan's sleeping like a rock." Ella informed us.

We said goodnight to her and watched her leave the room. Marius turned the volume back up and turned his attention back to the show.

"I don't know if I could be a king or not – it looks like a hard job." Marius noted. The show was over and the two of us were in bed.

"I wouldn't want to be queen. It's like being First Lady." I said.

"You would make an excellent queen – you're kind, gentle, supportive, sweet, positive and extremely attractive." Marius said as he kissed my neck. I felt him climb on top of me and slide down my pajama bottoms. He kissed my forehead as I placed my glasses on the bedside table. He then removed my pajama top, along with my bra. I removed his sleep shirt, my nails digging into his back.

"You would make an excellent king – you're a wonderful listener, gentle, kind, loyal, positive, sweet and sexy as hell." I told him, feeling him go inside me. I kissed his handsome face and played with his hair.

We fell asleep in each other's arms. I felt Marius watching me as I slept, which I didn't mind. I set my alarm on my phone for 7:00 the following morning.

I had a strange dream that night – I was a queen and Marius was a king. I think it had something to do with watching The White Queen.

I felt something shaking me awake at 7:00 the following morning. I opened my eyes and fumbled for my glasses. I put them on and saw Marius standing before me, fully dressed, his hair damp from taking a shower.

"Come on, Cass. Jehan and Feuilly will be here soon. Jehan is taking us to the airport." Marius told me. I got out of bed and quickly threw some clothes on. I then ate something and dragged my suitcase out into the other room. I then went back for my carry-on. It contained a couple books for Marius and myself, my laptop, some movies and snacks for the kids.

Marius grabbed the diaper bag and we were on our way. I sat in back with the twins, while Marius sat up front with Jehan.

"Cassidy, I am so sorry for your loss." Jehan told me.

"Thank you." I thanked him and stared out the window.

"Baby, you okay?" Marius asked.

"Yeah, just upset." I answered, feeling tears in my eyes.

We reached the airport five minutes later. Marius and I got the twins in their carseats while Jehan helped us with our bags. He then helped us get our luggage inside, hugged us and went on our way.

I transferred Cosette to her Baby Bjorn as Marius put Ryan in his. We checked their carseats, along with our suitcases at check-in and went on our way.

We each grabbed a diaper bag and went through security. I soothed Cosette as much as I could as we went through the X-Ray machine. I looked over my shoulder and saw my boys walk through the machine. Marius smiled and pointed to Ryan. He was fast asleep. I smiled and took Marius' hand.

Marius and I took the babies to the bathroom so we could change them before boarding.

I was telling Cosette what a pretty and good girl she was when I felt someone watching me. I turned around and saw a little girl watching me.

I smiled at her and turned my attention to Cosette. She had a little bit of diaper rash, so I put some special cream on her. I then put her cute little flowered pants back on, along with her diaper and picked her up.

"What's your baby's name?" the little girl asked.

"Cosette." I told her, putting Cosette back in her Baby Bjorn. I adjusted the straps and made sure Cosette was comfortable.

We exited the bathroom and went to find Marius. I found him standing outside the ladies' room, holding Ryan.

Marius smiled and kissed me gently on the lips before taking my hand. We took the moving sidewalk to our gate.

"We're running low on time, sweetie, so if you want something, you should get it before we board." Marius told me.

"I had some breakfast before we left and I think they're serving lunch on the plane." I told him as we found our gate.

We boarded the plane and found our seats. Marius sat next to the window and I sat in the middle. Marius and I put our bags under the seats and prayed that no one sat next to us.

My prayers were answered when it was time to depart. I looked around and saw that the plane wasn't very crowded.

Marius and I enjoyed lunch on the plane while the kids had a snack. After the twins had their snack, they took a rest while Marius and I watched the in-flight movie. I fell asleep in the middle of the movie, hugging Cosette close to me.

It was a two-day flight to Ireland, which was one more day than I would've liked. I would be happier when we touched down at the Dublin Airport. Thank goodness we didn't experience any turbulence – I don't really like airplanes or flying, but my family needed me, so I put it behind me.

I looked over at Marius and saw he was fast asleep, his head against the window. I leaned over and looked at Ryan – he was fast asleep. I placed the flap of the Baby Bjorn over him and looked at Cosette. She was also asleep, her head on my chest. She must've fallen asleep to the sound of my heartbeat. I put the flap over her and carefully got out my book I was reading.

Eventually, I fell asleep and felt a bright light on my face. I blinked sleepily and looked out the window. I felt my eyes widen and my jaw drop a little as I witnessed the sun rise. I found my camera and took picture after picture of the beautiful sunrise.

A stewardess came around and served breakfast. I received orange juice, pancakes, two sausage links and part of a grapefruit. I ate all my breakfast and settled back in my seat.

I looked down at Cosette's sleeping face and removed the flap away from her face. I then kissed the top of her head and saw her open her eyes.

"Hi, sweetheart. Are you hungry?" I asked, finding my nursing blanket. I removed the Baby Bjorn and placed it on the seat next to me. I then took my arm out of my sleeve of my shirt and unsnapped my bra. I then brought Cosette to my breast and felt her latch on.

I peeked under the nursing blanket and saw her nursing loudly. I planned to nurse the twins until they turned a year and wean them off breastfeeding.

"Hi," Marius greeted me, his voice just above a whisper. He looked at the blanket and kissed my temple. I felt him wrap an arm around my waist and rub the small of my back, "she nursing?"

I nodded and peeked under the blanket again – she was nursing still. I had a feeling she had fallen asleep. I gently pulled her away and burped Cosette. She let out a little squeak and opened her eyes.

"Hi beautiful one," I greeted Cosette, handing her to Marius as I took Ryan from him. "Hi handsome. You hungry?"

I brought him to my breast and watched him latch on. I gently rocked him as he nursed, humming one of my favorite songs.

"_I don't know you  
But I want you  
All the more for that  
Words fall through me  
And always fool me  
And I can't react  
And games that never amount  
To more than they're meant  
Will play themselves out_

_Take this sinking boat  
And point it home  
We've still got time  
Raise your hopeful voice  
You have a choice  
You've made it now_." Marius and I sang. Falling Slowly was one of my favorite songs and Once was my favorite movie. I loved the relationship between the man and the woman – or as I called them in my head, Marius and myself.

Ryan finished nursing. I gently burped him and put him back in his Baby Bjorn. He was lighter than Cosette, so I would take him for awhile while Marius took Cosette.

Finally, our plane landed and I called Evanna. She and her boyfriend, Dean, would be meeting us at the airport.

We stepped out onto the terminal and blinked in the sunlight streaming through the large windows. I turned around and saw Marius and Cosette following us. He was carrying our carry-on while I carried the diaper bag.

"CASSIDY! MARIUS! OVER HERE!" I heard Evanna call as we continued walking. I saw her and ran as fast as I could. She flew to me and hugged me. She then pulled away and looked down at Ryan. "Is this – Ryan?"

"Yeah. Marius has Cosette." I told my sister. I saw a tall, skinny, dark-skinned man in his early twenties standing behind Evanna. I knew at once it was Dean.

"Cassidy, it's so good to meet you. Evanna will not shut up about you," Dean told me, pulling me into a hug. He then looked at the baby boy asleep in his Baby Bjorn, "what a handsome man!"

I smiled at him. I then looked over and saw Marius hugging Evanna.

"Let us take the babies so you two can get your luggage." Dean offered. I looked to Marius and he smiled at me. The twins loved people and the transition to Dean and Evanna went perfectly. Evanna took Ryan while Dean took Cosette.

We went to the baggage carousel, the two of them asking us how our flight was. We answered each question as I looked for our baggage. I looked over and saw Marius talking to Evanna and Dean in low voices. I rolled my eyes and instantly grabbed my green suitcase, followed by Marius' rainbow one. He was borrowing Ella's suitcase, since he lost his.

We then followed Evanna and Dean to their car, making sure to grab the twins' carseats.

Marius and I installed the carseats while Evanna and Dean got the twins out of their Baby Bjorn's and handed them to me.

"Cosette goes in the bigger carseat." I told Evanna. She nodded and placed Cosette in her car seat while Dean placed Ryan in his. Marius and I climbed into the back seats as Evanna and Dean climbed in the front.

I got carsick sitting in the back, so I rested my head on Marius' shoulder and closed my eyes.

"Where you two stayin'?" Dean inquired.

"At the Radisson in Dublin Square." Marius answered. I felt him stroke my hair and kiss my temple.

"Nonsense – you'll be stayin' with us." Evanna spoke up.

"Eva, are you sure? I mean your house isn't that big to begin with-" I started, my voice hoarse. I felt like I was going to hurl, but swallowed back the bile.

"Did you forget about mum and da's cottage in Killarney?" Evanna asked.

"I thought they sold it?" I asked, sitting up.

"No – they left it to us in their will." Evanna said.

The rest of the ride was silent, which I was happy about. I put my head on Marius' chest and felt him wrap his arms around me.

"Cass, we're here." Marius told me twenty minutes later. I opened my eyes and leaned over him so I could see the house properly.

It was a large four-story gray stone house with red shutters. Leading up to the house was a gravel driveway with pink flowers on either side of the road. In the backyard was a large lake, along with a barbeque pit, volleyball court, dodge ball field and a horse riding stable.

In the front yard, there was a flag pole with the Irish flag, surrounded by flowers at the base of the flag pole. There were several trees and I saw at least four hammocks in the trees.

As we pulled even further into the driveway, I saw a Quidditch pitch to my left. My family was big into Quidditch ever since the Harry Potter books came out. My siblings and I would play for hours, running instead of riding brooms.

There were also different trails that led to the back of the property and to the lake, which was perfect for catching fish or swimming in.

"This place is beautiful!" Marius marveled as Dean stopped the car.

"Who else is here?" I asked, sitting up and stretched.

"Bridget and Thomas. Uncle Seamus is arriving tomorrow." Evanna answered, helping us get the twins and our luggage into the house.

"Are you two okay on the third floor?" Evanna asked as we entered the house.

Everywhere I looked on the main level of the house was white. White floors, white ceilings, white walls. I felt like I was in a mental institution or a hospital where everything is white.

"Is every floor in your house white?" I heard Marius ask. I hit him in the stomach. "Ow!"

Evanna chuckled.

"Not every floor. This one's white, the basement is blue, the first floor is green and the second floor is red. Bridget is in the bedroom in the basement and Thomas is on the first floor, along with Dean and I." Evanna said as she, Dean, Marius and I climbed the carpeted stairs to the third floor.

The third floor had six wooden doors, three on either side of a long hallway. Evanna and Dean led us to the last door on the right hand side and gestured for us to go in.

"We set up cribs for the babies in the spare room." Dean whispered. We walked into the room and looked around.

The floors were mahogany and shone beautifully. There was a large sitting area that overlooked the lake. Two picture windows looked onto the lake. When we walked closer, I realized they weren't windows, but glass sliding doors that led to a wood balcony. On the balcony were lawn chairs and a bicycle. I later found out that the bicycle belonged to Dean.

We continued though the room. It had its own kitchen, two bathrooms, a laundry room, a study where the twins would be and a medium-sized bedroom.

Evanna and Dean put the twins down for a nap while Marius and I stared at the room.

Light red carpeting covered the floors. A large four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room, covered by a quilt. Towards the front of the room was a large stone fireplace.

I noticed on either side of the bed were book cases. I looked at the titles of the books and smiled at some of the titles. I realized this used to be my room when I would spend my summers off from college. I attended Trinity College and majored in business and equine studies.

"Um, Cassidy, what or who is this?" Marius asked. I put down a horse figurine back on the shelf I found it and walked over to Marius.

He was holding a very old ragged bear in his arms. The bear was missing an ear, one of its button eyes and some of its fur had disappeared. I smiled and hugged the bear to my chest.

"Darlin!" I whispered. Marius raised an eyebrow. "I was two and Darlin' was my first word. That's what I named this bear."

"Do you still sleep with it?" Marius asked.

"No – I'm too old for stuffed animals. I actually have my own teddy bear now." I told him, placing Darlin' on a chair next to the bed.

"So, was this your room?" Marius asked as he led me to the bed.

"Yeah. When I would come home from college for the summer, I would stay here." I told him, smiling against his lips. He brought his head down to mine and kissed me passionately.

We kicked off our shoes and made our way to the middle of the bed. Before we did anything, I found the monitor and turned it on. The room filled with static and after a moment, the sound of sleeping babies filled the air.

I then went to join Marius in bed. I got under the covers and snuggled closer to him. He kissed me again as his hands roamed my body. I kept my breathing even as he climbed on top of me and spread my legs apart a little. He removed my skirt and underwear before entering me.

I removed both of our tops as he removed his jeans. I moaned with pleasure as he found his rhythm.

He rolled onto his side, bringing me with him. His hands went to my hair and took it out of the ponytail I had it in. He put my hair tie and glasses on the bed as I wrapped my arms around him.

I wrapped my legs around his torso as I felt him extend deeper. I let out a moan, being careful to keep my voice down.

"Marius, this feels amazing!" I breathed as he made his way down my body.

He had me sit up in bed and I felt him get behind me. He gently moved his hands up and down my ribcage as his legs wrapped around me. I felt him kiss my neck as his hands roamed my body. I turned around and looked into his handsome face.

I screamed and sat up in bed as lightening flashed and thunder boomed. Rain danced on the roof and I heard two babies cry. I looked down and saw I was in my pajamas.

I got out of bed and went to tend to the babies. Cosette was screaming her head off, as was Ryan. I picked up Cosette and held her close, letting her know everything was all right.

"I heard you scream. You all right?" Marius asked. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

I calmed down as Marius and I sang Falling Slowly to the babies. They eventually calmed down and the two of us exited the room.

"Are we in Ireland?" I asked as we got back under the covers.

"Yeah. Why?" Marius questioned, making his way to the middle of the bed. I saw he was shirtless and wore an old pair of faded green sweatpants.

"No reason." I answered, feeling him climb on top of me.

"What was the scream for?" He asked as he looked into my eyes.

"I had a nightmare, that's all." I answered, feeling him put a hand under my night shirt and rub it up and down my stomach. I made myself comfortable as he went a little further down each time. I was exhausted, but found my energy when I felt him remove my sleep shorts and underwear. He took some pubic hair in his fingers and gently pull on it. "Careful."

"I will be." He assured me, covering my neck in kisses. He rolled onto his side again and brought me with him.

Things only got better from there.


	15. Cassidy's Point of View - part 2

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
(chapter title – Cassidy's Point of View, part 2)

It seemed like Marius and I had finally fallen asleep when the sound of a cat dying woke me up. I put my glasses on and looked at the clock – 5:00 AM.

Marius continued snoring, which I kicked him for. I turned on my stomach as the noise grew louder. I then realized what it was – my uncle Seamus playing the bagpipes.

"What is that God-awful noise?" Marius questioned. I had put the pillow over my head and tried to get some more sleep in before the twins woke up.

"My uncle Seamus playing the bagpipes." I answered, my voice muffled.

"Why does he play the bagpipes at five o'clock in the bloody morning?" Marius asked.

"I don't know. He lived with us when I was younger and he did it then, too." I answered, sitting up and stretched. I looked over at Marius, who had gone back to bed.

On my way to the bathroom, I checked on the twins. They were fast asleep and I prayed they didn't hear the bagpipes.

I took a quick shower and sang a little of Falling Slowly when I saw Marius join me. I rubbed the shampoo throughout my hair and continued singing as Marius stepped closer to me and kissed my neck, his eyes going to my Celtic cross.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked.

"My mom left it to me." I answered, finishing up. I didn't want to talk about my parents right now.

He sensed that I had moved away from the subject. I stepped out of the shower and went to get dressed. I then went to the spare room where the babies were and looked down at them. Cosette was beginning to stir while Ryan still slept.

I picked Cosette up and held her as she began crying. I bounced her on my hip as we went to the rocking chair. I lifted my shirt and bra before bringing Cosette to my chest. She latched on and suckled loudly. I smiled and stroked her hair as I sang Falling Slowly to her.

She finished nursing a while later. I picked her up and held her against me as I continued singing Falling Slowly. I felt her bottom and brought her to the changing table so I could change her.

I finished with Cosette and turned my attention to Ryan. I picked him up and did the same routine with him.

Soon, both babies were taken care of. I exited the nursery and went to the room where Marius and I were staying. I made the bed and saw him sitting on the chair next to the bed holding Darlin'.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Marius asked.

"No, I'm not mad. I just have a lot to do today. I'm meeting Bridget, Thomas and Evanna for breakfast at The Red Fox then we're doing some things for the memorial service," I told him, grabbing my light jacket. "You and the twins are more than welcome to come with us, if you want."

"I actually need to talk to Dean about something. It has to do with your birthday." He told me. I realized that my birthday was the day before Cedric's memorial service.

"Okay. Would you be willing to watch the twins? I'm gonna pump this morning so we can start bottle feeding them." I told Marius, getting my pumping supplies. He removed the jacket I had on and exited the room. He knew I liked privacy while I pumped.

I finished and poured the milk into bottles and put the bottles in the fridge. I then washed the parts I used to pump with in sudsy water and put them on a towel to dry.

I found Marius sitting on the couch in the living area looking at a throw pillow with words on it. I smiled – remembering the words from my childhood.

The pillow was blue with white flowers around the edges. The words were also white and read – _Life has knocked me down a few times. It has shown me things I never wanted to see. I have experienced sadness and failures. But one thing for sure…I always get up!_

"Usually, these things have some sort of phrase on them like 'love is the strongest gift there is' or something like that." Marius noted. I kissed his cheek and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I made that pillow when I was having a really bad day," I told him, taking his hand in mine. I kissed him and looked into his eyes. "I have to go now. There's six bottles in the fridge for the babies. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Tell Thomas, Evanna and Bridget I said 'hi', okay?" Marius told me. I nodded and stood up. I grabbed my purse and exited the room, looking one last time at my husband.

I headed down the stairs and saw Thomas sitting at the kitchen table, a coffee cup between his hands. I walked over to my brother and sat on the kitchen stool next to him.

"Uncle Seamus wake you up?" I asked, helping myself to an apple in the basket on the table.

"Yeah." He answered, taking a sip of coffee. I hugged him and knew he was going through this the hardest – Cedric had been his twin brother.

"Evanna and Bridget should be up and around soon," I told him. "Have you thought about what you're going to say?"

"Not yet. I still can't believe he's gone." Thomas said.

"I know. I can't believe it, either." I remarked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

We stayed like that for a few minutes before Bridget and Evanna announced that they were ready to go.

We took Bridget's car, since it was the only one all four of us could fit in comfortably. I sat up front with Bridget, while Evanna and Thomas squished in the back.

It was pretty quiet on the drive to the Red Fox Pub. Thomas was the owner of the Pub, so we got to eat free, so did friends and family.

When we got there, I saw a red car parked in the first parking spot in the parking lot.

"Looks like Kathleen, Robert and Rose are here." Thomas noted as Bridget pulled next to the red car. We all exited the car and walked to the pub.

Thomas was right – under the green and white striped awning were three people waiting to enter the pub. I recognized the woman as Kathleen O'Brien, Cedric's ex-wife. I noticed the twins next to her and gasped – the last time I had seen the twins since they were two-years-old.

We all went into the pub as Thomas turned on the lights and went to the kitchen. He heated us up some bangers and mash as all of us sat at our favorite table.

"Cassidy, it's so good to see you again." Kathleen broke the silence as I sat next to her. Kathleen and I weren't the best of friends, but I was willing to put that behind me.

"You, too, Kathleen," I told her, taking a sip of my water. I then turned to the twins, "Rose, Robert. So good to see you!"

"You, too Aunt Cassidy." Rose told me. Robert was silent. He had some vocal cord damage and usually signed. Today, nothing. I knew he was upset about his father dying. I reached across the table and took his hand in mine.

We talked for a while before Evanna, Bridget and I went to a store in Dublin Square to get an outfit for me for the memorial service. I had forgotten the dress I was going to bring at home.

I found the perfect dress to wear to the memorial service – it was black with a pattern of white flowers on it. It came mid-calf and also came with a matching sweater, since it was sleeveless.

"You should also get this." Evanna said, shoving a beautiful red dress in my arms. She went to pay for the black dress while I tried on the red dress.

I turned in the mirror and was in love. It was tea-length and had quarter-length sleeves. It was low-cut, so I bought a white sweater to go over it.

We exited the store and went back to the house to relive Marius of babysitting.

"Hey. How was it with your family?" Marius asked as I took the dress bags to the bedroom.

"It was good. How were the kids?" I asked as I sat next to him on the couch. He was currently watching a Rugby game. I rested my head on his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

"They're fine. They've been asleep for an hour now." Marius told me, turning so he could see me. He turned off the TV and focused all his attention on me.

"What have you been up to?" I asked, sitting on top of him.

"Dean, Thomas and I have been planning your surprise party." Marius told me.

"Anything you can tell me?" I asked between kisses. He stood up and led me to the bedroom.

"You'll. Find. Out. Tonight. I. Think. You'll. Like. It." He answered between kisses. I felt his hands go up my shirt as we fell down on the bed.

We made out for a while before Marius told me to take a shower and get ready. I got the dress bag that contained my dress for the evening and went to take a shower.

I finished my shower and was blow-drying my hair when I heard Marius on the phone.

"Yeah…Tonight at 7:30 at the Red Fox Pub…Sneak in the back so she won't see you…Could you be there at five for a sound check?... I'll make sure of that…Okay…See you soon….Thanks again, Gavin…Bye."

"Who was that?" I asked as I applied mascara, lipstick and put my hair into a braid. I then put on my glasses and exited the bathroom.

"No one for you to-" he stopped mid-sentence and stared at me. "Wow – you look absolutely beautiful!"

"You like it? Evanna and Bridget helped me pick it out." I told him, slipping the sweater on, along with my black sandals.

"Give me a minute and I'll be ready." Marius told me, stepping into the bathroom. I went to feed and change the twins. I put a pink dress on Cosette and a T-shirt with a picture of a tuxedo on it and jeans on Ryan.

Marius came over to me as I was getting the twins diaper bag ready. I felt him kiss my neck and put his arms around my waist.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you so much." Marius whispered in my ear. I turned around and kissed him on the lips.

He picked up Cosette while I picked up Ryan. I closed the door behind me and followed Marius to the car. We put the twins in their carseats and I climbed in the front seat.

"Here, put this on," Marius told me, handing me a blindfold. I raised an eyebrow. "where we're going is a surprise. Don't take off the blindfold until we get there."

"Um, o-kay." I told him, tying the bandana around my eyes.

We drove for a while. I was completely bored, so I started singing random songs. Marius joined in once in a while, but other than that, he was silent.

I felt the car stop and heard Marius get out of the car. He opened my car door and helped me unfasten my seatbelt and lead me away from the car.

"I forgot the twins! Stay right there!" Marius told me. Of course, I stood there like an idiot while Marius got both twins out of the car and handed me one.

We then went up a couple of steps and went through a doorway.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT CASSIDY, CASSIDY AND MOM! WE LOVE YOU!" I heard a lot of people shout. Marius removed my blindfold as I felt my eyes well-up with tears. In the crowd, I saw Ella, Anton, Enjolras, Eponine, Sara, Jolene, Kathleen, Robert, Rose, Gavroche, Courfrayac, Joly, Combeferre, Jehan, Grantaire, Javert, Bahorel, Feuilly, Thomas, Evanna and Bridget.

"Thanks you guys!" I finally said after a long time.

"This isn't all of your birthday surprise." Marius whispered in my ear. He turned me around and led me to the front of the pub.

I nearly screamed when I saw who was onstage. In person were Gavin and Marissa, the two people responsible for my favorite movie and favorite song.

"Happy birthday Cassidy! Hope you're having a great day!" Marissa said into the microphone. She had a soft accent, which I couldn't place. She was sitting at the piano while Gavin sat on a stool next to her, strumming his guitar.

"Everyone, grab a loved one and dance with Marius and Cassidy." Gavin said in a light Irish accent.

Marius took me in his arms as Falling Slowly began playing.

"This is the best birthday present ever! Thank you so much!" I whispered in Marius' ear as we danced around the floor.

"You're welcome. I love you so much and would do anything for you." Marius told me.

I rested my head on his shoulder and looked at all the dancing couples. I felt Marius draw me closer and hold me.

The song finished and all of us turned to the stage, applauding loudly. Everyone left the dance floor and helped themselves to a cupcake – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or blueberry. I helped myself to a chocolate cupcake and went to talk with Ella. I hugged her tightly and looked into her eyes.

"How are your bad days doing?" I asked.

"They're okay. I just think about Hope and everything good in my life and they go away." She told me, pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back and felt Marius wrap an arm around me.

"I'll take the children to the hotel room, if you want me to." Javert told me.

"All but the twins – they're staying with Marius and myself." I told him, looking over at Marius. He was holding Cosette while Evanna held Ryan.

Marius and I said goodnight to Ella and Anton, telling them we would see them tomorrow. We also said goodnight to Javert, Evanna and the twins. Evanna said she would take the twins home for us. She and Dean would put them in their pajamas and take care of them for us.

Soon, the party was winding down. Thomas offered to drive us home, seeing as both Marius and I were falling asleep on our feet.

"Honey, I've been thinking about something," I told my wonderful husband as I changed into my pajamas, "when the twins turn a year, I would like to have another baby."

"Sweetie, are you sure?" Marius asked. I nodded and sat at the desk in the corner of the room. I found my note cards and a pen. I tapped the pen to my cheek as I thought about what I was going to say the following day, "what are you doing?"

"I've been busy all day, I didn't get a chance to write my speech for tomorrow." I answered, writing down some ideas. Cedric and Thomas were ten years older than I was, so I really didn't grow up with them.

The order of us kids went – Cedric and Thomas, Bridget, Evanna and myself. We had a little brother between Bridget and Evanna, but he died when he was eight months – he had an infection in his lungs and he couldn't fight it.

I focused my thoughts and took another sip of tea. I looked at Marius and longed to join him, but I had to write my speech.

Around midnight, I had something and decided to call it quits. I put my materials away and went to join Marius. He was fast asleep, but woke up when I put my head on his shoulder.

I fell asleep in his arms, dreaming of our perfect family.


	16. Cedric's Memorial Service

CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
(chapter title – Cedric's Memorial Service)

The following morning, Cassidy got out of bed and went to get ready for the service while Marius slept. She, Evanna, Thomas and Bridget needed to get to the church first to get it ready.

Twenty minutes later, Cassidy was ready and was bottle-feeding Ryan when Marius came into the room. He sat on the extra chair and bottle fed Cosette.

"You look beautiful." Marius told Cassidy.

"You say that about every outfit I wear." She teased, kissing his cheek. She then put Ryan back to bed, while Marius did the same to Cosette.

Ten minutes later, the twins, Marius and Cassidy were ready to go.

"You all right?" Marius asked as they drove to the church.

"Yeah, just not wanting to do this right now." She answered, looking out the window.

"I'm so sorry about your brother." Marius said, taking Cassidy's hand for a moment. She smiled and squeezed his hand back.

They reached the church five minutes later and went to help set up for the memorial service.

As Cassidy placed flowers on a table, she looked over at the picture on the front of the program. It showed Cedric smiling broadly at the camera, his blond hair blowing in the breeze. He had his hazel eyes focused on the camera, a goofy grin on his face. Cassidy smiled at the picture and returned to her work.

Marius kissed Cassidy's cheek and leaned against her. She looked down and saw Cosette asleep in Marius' arms.

"Where's Ryan?" Cassidy asked, looking around frantically for her son.

"Evanna has him. There's no reason to panic." Marius answered, placing an arm around her waist. He kissed her cheek as Evanna, Thomas and Bridget walked over to them.

"Time to begin." Thomas told his sisters. Cassidy, Bridget and Evanna hugged their brother, hoping it would be all right.

Cassidy went to the front of the church where her siblings would be. Marius, Ella, Anton, Cosette and Ryan sat behind them, along with the rest of Marius and Cassidy's friends.

The service started with the priest saying an Irish blessing. A hymn was sung as Evanna and Bridget sat in the chairs behind the pulpit as the hymn finished.

Evanna spoke first, saying how kind and compassionate Cedric was. She also spoke about how he loved the youngest member of the family, Cassidy.

Evanna finished by saying an Irish prayer before returning to her seat.

Bridget sang one of Cedric's favorite songs – My Heart Will Go On from his favorite movie Titanic. There wasn't a dry eye in the church after she was done singing.

There was a hymn that was sung as Evanna and Bridget returned to their seats. Cassidy and Thomas sat in the chairs behind the pulpit. Cassidy would be speaking first then Thomas would be giving the eulogy.

When the music finished, Cassidy placed her hands on either side of the pulpit to steady herself. She then fished out her note cards and read from them.

"I didn't grow up with Cedric – he was ten years older than I was. What I do remember about him was that he was kind, considerate, compassionate, positive, plant-lover, moviegoer and a lover of poetry.

He was also extremely dedicated – both to his work and family. His marriage didn't work out, but he still loved his wife and twins with all his heart.

I also remember Cedric being strong and fighting for what he believed in, no matter what anyone said or did to make him change his mind. I guess you could call him stubborn.

Wherever he is, I hope he's safe and know that we all miss and love him." Cassidy read from her notes. She sat down as Thomas went to the pulpit.

"This is the third eulogy I've given this year," Thomas started. He then got serious, "Cedric Jonathon Davis was born on September 25th, 1969 and died on August 24th, 2013. He was forty-four years old. He was also my twin brother, older by ten minutes.

Growing up, Cedric was fascinated by plants and bugs, but mostly plants. He would go to our mum's garden and study her plants. I guess that's why he went to Trinity University to become a scientist.

He left behind a wife of twenty-two years and twins who are seventeen years of age. He also left behind not only me, but also his three sisters – Evanna, Bridget and Cassidy.

I'm going to end with a blessing our mum used to say to us. It goes like this – May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.

May Irish angels watch over you, Cedric. God bless." Thomas finished the eulogy and went to sit down as You Raise Me Up was played on an Irish flute. Cassidy felt tears in her eyes and sobbed into Marius' shoulder. He held her as the music finished.

"Come on, Cass. It's all right, love." Bridget assured Cassidy, putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked to where Evanna and Thomas were waiting for them. Cassidy and Evanna stood on one side and Thomas and Bridget stood on the other.

It seemed like hours before the procession was finished, but it was only half an hour. Cassidy hugged Marius as he joined the procession line.

There was a reception afterwards, but Cassidy didn't feel like staying – she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She found her way to the nearest bathroom and threw up for ten minutes.

Marius and Cassidy headed back to Evanna's cottage. Cassidy went to the horse stable while Marius and Bridget put the twins down for a nap.

Marius went to the horse stable and saw Cassidy on a beautiful black Fresian. Currently, Cassidy was having the beautiful animal at a trot while music played from an unknown source.

He leaned against the rail and watched Cassidy. She turned the horse and trotted to the rail. The elegant horse put its head over the rail and nickered.

"This is Hydra. She's mine – I raised her when she was a foal. She's twenty-nine-years-old now." Cassidy told Marius.

"She's beautiful," Marius said, looking into Cassidy's beautiful eyes, "our flight leaves at 8:45 tonight, so we need to get packed."

"Okay. I'll be right there." Cassidy assured Marius, cantering off. Marius noticed she was bareback and didn't use a bridle. Instead, she used the horse's mane to guide her and keep her balance.

Marius headed back to the house, just as Cassidy came up beside him. She kissed his cheek and leaned against him. Marius stopped walking and pressed his lips to Cassidy's, his hands on her waist.

She broke out of his grasp, took his hand and led him to the bedroom. The two of them took off their shoes, not breaking contact. Marius placed his hands under Cassidy's shirt and lifted it off her head.

The two of them were in bed, Marius on top of Cassidy. She gasped as she felt him enter her, his hands on either side of her body.

They made love for a while before getting dressed. Cassidy sang You Raise Me Up as she bottle-fed both twins and changed them. Marius packed the suitcases and diaper bag while Cassidy tended to the twins.

An hour later, Evanna and Dean drove them to the airport. She gave all four of them hugs as Dean helped Marius with the car seats.

They checked the car seats and baggage at the gate and went to find something to eat. Cassidy bought herself and Marius a slice of cheese pizza. She looked up and saw Ella, Javert and Anton sitting at a table with Marius and the twins.

Marius and Cassidy quickly ate their pizza before taking the moving sidewalk to their gate, Javert and Ella right behind them. Javert held tightly onto Anton's hand.

Cassidy, Marius and Javert sat next to each other while Ella and Anton sat across the aisle.

All of them did separate things on the plane – Ella and Anton played a game, Cassidy and Marius slept, Javert watched the in-flight movie. Cosette and Ryan also slept.

Marius woke up and looked over at Cassidy. She had her head against the window and was breathing lightly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her to him. He then carefully removed his sweater and placed it over her shoulders. Cassidy moaned in her sleep, but didn't wake up.

As he continued watching her, he didn't know what he would do without her. She was his everything.

He closed his eyes and rested his head on Cassidy's shoulder, dreaming of their years to come.


	17. And Babies Make Four

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN  
(chapter title – And Babies Make Four)

Cassidy moaned as she sat in front of the toilet, her eyes heavy with sleep. It was 4:10 in the morning and for some reason, Cassidy couldn't stop puking.

"Honey? You all right?" Marius mumbled as he entered the bathroom.

"I-I don't know. I feel awful." Cassidy answered as she barfed again. Marius was alert and held Cassidy's hair back as she vomited. He also rubbed her back and soothed her as much as he could.

"You don't feel warm to me. Do you want to go back to bed?" Marius asked. Cassidy nodded weakly and pushed herself onto her unsteady legs. Marius caught her and helped her brush her teeth, flush the toilet and wash her hands.

Once she was in bed, Marius went to check on the twins. Ella and Anton were in school, so it was just Marius, Cassidy, Ryan and Cosette. He smiled when he saw the twins sleeping peacefully. They had been asleep for almost an hour. Marius was also relived when the twins started sleeping through the night.

For the rest of the day, Cassidy slept while Marius did some work around the house and made a few calls to his office.

He was on a conference call when one of the twins woke up. The little one began wailing loudly. Marius knew right away it was Ryan.

"Excuse me, Judge Thornton, but I have to take this. I'll be right back, I promise," Marius excused himself from the call and went to the nursery and tended to Ryan. He then put the baby back in his crib and went back to the call. "I'm sorry about that. Where were we?"

"We were discussing the case of Johnson vs. Fray. What are your views on that?" the judge asked.

"Oh, that. I believe that Fray is guilty in killing his wife." Marius answered.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because his fingerprints were on the weapon and we found his footprint in a puddle of blood."

Marius, the judge and the two other lawyers on the case talked about it for a while longer before Cassidy came into the room.

He looked up and saw that she was pale as a ghost and didn't look good at all.

"What's wrong?" Marius asked, rushing out to catch Cassidy.

"I don't feel very good." Cassidy answered, her voice hoarse.

"I'll call someone and see if they can take you in. I'm on a conference call and it's going to last all day," Marius said, helping her into a chair while he quickly called Bahorel to see if he could take Cassidy in to see the doctor. Bahorel said he would be more than happy to. "Bahorel is going to take you."

"Okay." Cassidy said, slowly getting up and ran for the bathroom. Marius heard her vomit and ran to hold her hair back.

Bahorel arrived five minutes later and took Cassidy to the doctor. Marius wrote down what she was experiencing. He prayed that Cassidy would be all right.

An hour later, Bahorel and Cassidy came back to the house. Marius was still on his conference call, but looked up when Cassidy came into the house, a prescription for pre-natal vitamins in her hand.

"She's six weeks pregnant," Bahorel told Marius. Marius excused himself from his call and hugged Cassidy. "This is a high-risk pregnancy, since she's a little older."

"Bahorel, I can take it from here. Thank you for taking such good care of me." Cassidy thanked her friend, hugging him. Bahorel hugged her back and smiled as Marius handed the twins to him. Bahorel offered to take them to the park for a while so that Marius could concentrate on his conference calls while Cassidy slept.

"Cass, what did Bahorel mean when he said 'high risk pregnancy'?" Marius asked as he helped Cassidy back into bed.

"The doctor said I'm carrying another set of twins and for me to take it easy. I'm giving all of my classes to Joly until the twins turn a year. It also means I am limited to what I can and can't do." Cassidy explained.

As she got further along in her pregnancy, Cassidy and Marius made some difficult choices. While Cassidy was under anesthesia, she would have her tubes tied, since the couple didn't want more children after these twins were born.

They also made the difficult decision to put their beloved house for sale and move to a bigger farmhouse further out in the country. This new house was closer to Courfrayac and Joly's place, so Ella could ride Hope whenever she wanted.

Marius and Cassidy went to Cassidy's six-month appointment to find out what they were having. Ella, Anton and the twins were in school and day care, so it was just the two of them.

"Looks like you're having another boy and girl. The little boy is on top and the little girl is on the bottom. They are gaining the weight they need, which I'm very pleased about. For this C-Section, I would like to schedule it two weeks before their actual due date." The doctor told Marius and Cassidy. They both nodded and thanked the doctor as she exited the room.

The two of them went home and talked about baby names. They instantly agreed on the little boy's name – Jace Cedric, but they couldn't agree on the little girl's name.

"What about Felicity?" Cassidy suggested, taking a sip of her water. Marius smiled.

"I love it." Marius said, kissing Cassidy's cheek.

"Finally, a name we can agree on," Cassidy teased, "all we need is a-"

"Anne."

"Excuse me?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Her middle name should be Anne. It was your mother's name and it's also Bridget's middle name." Marius explained. Cassidy felt her heart soar.

"Marius, I love it!" Cassidy told her husband, kissing his cheek.

She leaned against him and looked down at her stomach.

"Three more months until we meet you little ones." Cassidy told Marius, feeling him place his hands on her stomach.

"I can't wait to meet them, either." Marius told her, kissing her jaw line. Cassidy smiled and rested her head on his neck before falling asleep.

Marius wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, not wanting to let her go.


	18. Jace and Felicity Pontmercy

**A/N: HEY EVERYONE! HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING HOPE FOR TOMORROW! A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE THIS NEXT CHAPTER GETS STARTED:**

**1 - THERE ARE EIGHT MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL THIS STORY IS COMPLETE! **

**2 - SUNDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY AND ON MONDAY, I'M GOING TO BE OUT OF TOWN ALL DAY. I'M GOING TO SEE HOW MY TUESDAY GOES AND I MIGHT WRITE SOME THEN.**

**3 - THIS SONG IN THE STORY IS A REAL SONG, ONLY THE WORDS HAVE CHANGED. IT REALLY GOES LIKE THIS:**

_Would you like to hold the baby?  
Would you like to see him smile?  
Can you make your arms a cradle  
And rock him for a while?  
This gift that I've been given  
Is yours as much as mine  
Would you like to hold the baby?  
Take your time. Take your time._

**ENJOY THE REST OF THE STORY!**

**FROM,**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN  
(chapter title – Jace and Felicity Pontmercy)

Cassidy and Marius were getting prepped for the delivery of the twins. Cassidy was already changed into a sky blue hospital gown and Marius was finishing putting on his navy blue scrubs. He kissed Cassidy one last time before she went under anesthesia.

Marius felt tears stream down his cheeks as he cut Jace's umbilical cord. Jace was then taken to get weighed, measured and cleaned up. He was then placed on Cassidy's chest. Marius held him as Felicity entered the world ten minutes later. She was also taken to get cleaned, weighed and measured before placed on Cassidy's chest. Both babies were crying softly and Marius was sobbing like a baby.

The doctor then finished the procedure by tying Cassidy's tubes. She was then taken to recovery while the twins were taken to the NICU, since they arrived two weeks early. They would be staying in the NICU for a week.

Jace weighed 4 pounds, 3 ounces and was 12.6 inches long. Felicity was 4 pounds, 6 ounces and was 12.7 inches long. Other than that, they were perfect.

Marius left them in the NICU and went to find his family. This time, Bahorel, Courfrayac, Joly, Ella, Javert, Jehan, Grantaire, Anton, Ryan and Cosette came. The others would be meeting the babies when they came out of the hospital.

He then told the crowd about the twins and that only two people could see them at a time. Ella and Javert went first, followed by Bahorel and Anton, Courfrayac and Joly, Jehan and Grantaire and finally, Ryan and Cosette.

Marius smiled as Ryan and Cosette looked at their new brother and sister, who were currently sleeping. Cosette pressed her face against the glass incubator and looked at her sleeping brother.

"Baby!" she whispered. She and Ryan were now a year, Anton was five and Ella was fifteen. Marius couldn't believe how fast the years were flying.

He went to visit Cassidy in recovery. She was fast asleep with all sorts of monitors and machines beeping, buzzing and humming around her. He sat in the chair next to her bed and stroked her hair.

"I love you so much, my sweet chickadee." Marius whispered in Cassidy's ear. He swore he saw her smile.

_A week later_

"Okay, babies. Welcome to your new home." Marius whispered as he brought Felicity into the house while Cassidy brought Jace inside.

They carried the babies to the third-floor nursery and put them in their cribs. They then turned the mobiles above the babies' heads, turned on the monitor and slowly backed out of the room.

Cassidy went to lay down while Marius kept an ear out for the babies. The only noise he heard was the babies' peaceful breathing, the year-old twins playing in their room and Ella practicing her violin in the living room. Ella had two after-school activites that she loved – violin lessons and ballet. With Hope being sick a lot, Ella wanted to spend more time on her other activites.

Ella finished practicing her violin and went to get a snack. She saw Marius in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. He put it down when Ella sat next to him. She had been wanting to talk to him about the first time he punished her – she had started having nightmares about it. She thought that if she talked to her dad about it, the nightmares would go away.

"Dad, can I talk to you?" Ella asked, finishing her apple.

"Sure, sweetie. What is it?" Marius inquired.

"Remember when I ran away because you were mad at me for the prank call I sent to Cassidy?" Ella questioned. Marius nodded, a confused look on his face, "why did you punish me for that? I don't understand."

Marius frowned, knowing this conversation would come up sooner or later.

"I was under a lot of pressure and stress at work. Being a lawyer's not fun, nor is punishing you. We just lost your mother and I didn't know how to react to your actions." Marius answered.

"But what I don't understand is why you punished me," she felt tears in her eyes, "I've started having nightmares about it."

Marius felt his stomach drop to the floor. He brought Ella over to the couch and held her as she cried, not realizing that his actions gave her nightmares.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. It's okay." Marius soothed, running a hand through Ella's hair.

He didn't know it, but Cassidy was leaning against the kitchen door. She was out of sight, but she could hear and see everything. She had been in the kitchen getting a bottle of water when she heard the conversation between Marius and Ella.

"Nice talk with Ella." Cassidy told Marius as they got ready for bed that night.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Marius said, going to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Cassidy right behind him.

"Don't play dumb – I heard the whole thing. That was a very sweet conversation you two had." Cassidy said, wrapping her arms around him. He looked over his shoulder and kissed her cheek as she brushed her teeth.

They cuddled for a while before heading to bed. Cassidy would take the first few hours with the twins while Marius took care of them the rest of the night.

The twins were up at midnight, two, three, four and six. Cassidy and Marius sang to, fed, burped, rocked, changed and held them, no matter how tired they were.

When the twins turned a week old, Cassidy and Marius gave them baths. Marius bathed Felicity and Cassidy bathed Jace. Both parents sang to their babies as they bathed them.

Twenty minutes later, both babies were clean and were in the nursery, currently asleep.

Ella volunteered to take Anton, Ryan and Cosette to the park so that Marius and Cassidy could get some sleep.

At the park, Ella saw Sara pushing Jolene in a baby swing. Ella brought all three kids to the swings and helped them onto the swings. She then stood between Ryan and Cosette while she talked with Sara.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Things okay?" Ella asked.

"They could be better." Sara said, giving Jolene a push in the swing.

"What's going on? Anything I should tell my dad about?" Ella inquired.

"No, El. School has gotten really hard for me – I found out I have dyslexia and it's not fun." Sara answered.

"I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do?"

"Just keep being my best friend – you're the best one I could ask for."

"Would you like to come over and help me babysit? Mom and dad are really tired from taking care of Jace and Felicity."

"Um, sure, but who are Jace and Felicity?" Sara asked, helping Jolene out of the swing as Ella helped her siblings out of their swings.

"They're my new brother and sister." Ella answered, making sure each of her siblings held someone's hand. Anton held Sara's hand as they walked back to the Pontmercy's house.

Ella put a movie on for the four youngest kids while she and Sara snuck to the nursery. Ella saw her dad sitting in the rocking chair, holding one of the twins. He smiled as the girls entered the room.

"Ella, would you and Sara like to hold your brother and sister?" Marius asked, his voice just above a whisper. Both girls smiled and put hand sanitizer on before sitting in the rocking chairs. Marius handed Ella Jace before handing Felicity to Sara.

"They're beautiful!" Sara whispered as she rocked Felicity.

"_Would you like to hold the babies_?" Ella sang as she rocked Jace.

"_Would you like to see them smile_?" Sara joined in, rocking Felicity.

"_Can you make your arms a cradle and rock them for a while_?" Marius also sang, standing between the two girls.

"_These gifts that I've been given are yours as much as mine_." All three of them sang in perfect harmony.

"_Would you like to hold the babies_?" Ella sang, handing Jace back to Marius, who put him in his crib.

"_Take your time. Take your time_." Sara sang, handing Felicity to Marius.

The girls exited the nursery and went back downstairs. They sat on the couch and watched the movie with the kids.

After the movie was over, Sara and Jolene headed back to their place. Before she left, Sara hugged Ella, forever grateful for her friendship.

Once Sara and Jolene left, Ella made dinner for her family before starting on her homework. Marius came to take over dinner while Ella did her math homework.

As Ella worked, she hummed a little bit of the song she and Sara sang in the nursery.

That night, Ella dreamt of Hope and Windy, also of Sara, Jolene, her siblings, parents and all of the important people in her life.


	19. Sara's Point of View

CHAPTER NINETEEN  
(chapter title – Sara's Point of View)

Jolene and I walked back to our house, talking and laughing. I couldn't believe that my little sister was turning six next week. She was growing up so fast.

We entered the house and I saw my dad sitting on the couch, glaring in my general direction. Mom took Jolene out of the room as dad turned on me.

"When were you going to tell your mother and me about your detention?" dad asked. I felt my stomach drop to the floor.

"I-I thought I did." I said, feeling tears in my eyes. I hoped dad didn't yell at me – that would make me even more upset.

"No, you didn't. What was the detention for?" dad inquired.

"Nothing." I answered a little too quickly.

"Serephina Ashlyn Thenardier – tell me the truth right now!" dad demanded. I hated it when my full name was used – that usually meant I was in big trouble, or grounded – like 'you're grounded until the end of the centaury.'

I didn't know where to begin or what to say. I stared at my freshly painted toenails for a while before looking into my dad's face.

"I cheated off my French test. The girl sitting next to me – Carly Johnson – told me I could. She's the biggest fake in the history of fakes. Mr. Florez – my teacher – caught me and sent me to the principal's office." I answered honestly.

"Why in the hell would you copy off a test? You're smarter than that!" dad fumed. I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"Mr. Florez said I could retake the test." I said after a while.

"Good – you're going to take it again, but at home, where I can make sure you don't cheat." Dad told me. I nodded and wiped the tears out of my eyes.

We were now having dinner, my parents staring at me while I ate. I could tell mom was furious, just like dad was.

"Did you cheat because of your dyslexia?" mom asked, putting broccoli onto her plate before passing the bowl to me.

"Yeah." I answered, taking some broccoli.

"I don't know what to do here." Dad said.

"Ground me! Punish me! Do something!" I yelled inside.

"I want to thank you for being honest with us, but because you cheated, we have to punish you somehow." Mom said. I looked at her and felt more tears in my eyes.

"Since this week is almost over, we won't ground you, but starting Monday, you're grounded for two weeks. After dinner, I want you to give me your phone, laptop, TV remote and anything electrical," Dad told me. "I also want you to get a copy of your French test and bring it home. I want you to take the test again, this time without cheating. What you did was wrong and I hope I can help you see that."

"That's the first week," mom spoke up. I closed my eyes, not wanting to hear what was coming next, "the second week, you will do extra chores around the house. Two weeks from today, if you do everything right and perfect, you can have your things back. However, if you mess up, you will get grounded for two more weeks. Is that fair?"

"Yes and no," I answered, pushing my plate away. I didn't feel very hungry now, "I cheated on a test and got detention. No, because I have dyslexia and it makes it harder for me to do things that my fellow classmates do."

"I could get you a tutor, if that would help." Dad said. I shook my head.

"That would make me look stupid. I know my friends would make fun of me for it." I told him.

"You're not stupid, Sara – some of the things you do are stupid. I know for a fact that your school offers a free tutoring session." Mom told me.

"May I be excused?" I asked, pushing myself away from the table.

"From the table, yes. From this conversation, no," Dad said. "Take your plate to the kitchen and come right back. We're not done talking about this."

I sighed and carried my plate and glass over to the kitchen counter. I then put them in the sink and wiped off all the food. I then put it in the dishwasher and went back over to where my parents were. I slouched in my seat and glared at my parents. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation.

After two hours, it was decided that I would have a French tutor. I wasn't happy, but I really didn't have a choice. We negotiated and came to the conclusion – either have a tutor or be grounded for two weeks.

I called Ella after we were done talking to let her know what happened.

"_Really? No effing way! If they were my parents, I would've been grounded for a year_!" Ella told me.

"I know. Your parents are so nice!" I told her.

"_I agree. Oh, I need your help with something tomorrow – both mom and dad are gonna be out of the house. Do you think you could help me babysit? We'll get paid like 5 dollars an hour_." she told me.

"What time to what time?" I asked, writing everything down so I could let my parents know.

"_From three to eight. You could bring Jolene over_." She answered.

"Would we need to change diapers or anything like that?" I asked, exiting my room, taking my cell phone with me.

"_Yeah. Mom and dad will go over everything before they leave. My aunts Evanna and Bridget are in town, so mom is spending time with them. Dad has to be in court all day._" Ella told me.

I told my parents about what was happening the following day. They told me I could go and to have a fun time. I smiled at them and went back to my room.

We chatted for a while longer before she had to go. We told each other that we would see each other the following day.

After I hung up, I watched some TV with my dad before going to take a shower and go to bed.

* * *

A week later, I started my tutoring session. I waited in the lobby, straightening the hem of my sweater every five minutes.

"Sara – I'm not going to be able to pronounce this – Thénard?" a boy's voice called, making me jump. I grabbed my shoulder bag and followed him to the back of the tutoring office.

"It's pronounced The-nar-die-r." I told him, looking at my tutor for the first time. He had chiseled features, blue eyes, sandy-blond hair, stood a half-inch taller than me. He wore jeans and a T-shirt with some sort of symbol on it that looked like an ancient rune. I caught a glimpse of a hearing aid over his right ear.

"Cool. I'm Will and I'll be your French tutor for the rest of the semester." He told me. I couldn't help but blush – he was really cute! "Oh, before you get any ideas, I'm sixteen and I have a girlfriend."

"I wasn't thinking anything." I told him a little too quickly. He smiled and had me open my French book to the chapter we were studying.

"So, if your last name's French, then that must mean you speak French in your house, right?" Will asked. I shook my head.

"The only one who spoke French in my family was my grandmother, but she passed away when I was six." I told him.

"I'm sorry," he told me, "okay. No more English – from now til 3:30, we speak French, oui?"

"Oui." I answered.

I spent the first half hour retaking my French quiz. With Will's help, things were easier for me. The second half of the hour, we played a vocabulary game, which was really fun, thanks to Will.

When we were finished, I gathered my bag and looked at his hearing aid. I had never seen one before and it fascinated me.

"We'll schedule sessions after school, starting tomorrow from 2:20-3:30, okay?" Will told me. I nodded and whispered something in the ear that had the hearing aid. "Did you say something?"

"Huh? No, I didn't." I told him, feeling really embarrassed that I had done that.

"It's a hearing aid, not a toy," he told me, running a hand through his hair, "when I was ten, my parents, sister and I went on a boat trip. We hit a wave and I was knocked off the boat. I would've drowned if my sister hadn't rescued me. I've been deaf in my right ear ever since."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." I apologized, feeling even stupider.

"It's okay. Next time ask, all right?" he told me, smiling at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I then remembered my babysitting gig with Ella the following day.

"Will, do you think we could skip the tutoring session tomorrow? I have to help my best friend babysit from three to eight." I told him, making sure to speak into his left ear.

"Um, sure. We'll start Monday. Have a good weekend." He told me.

"Thanks. You, too." I said, exiting the tutoring office.

The school wasn't far from my house, so I decided to walk home. I caught up with Ruth and Taylor. The three of us giggled and talked about stuff before I reached the street I lived on. I waved goodbye to them and walked to the house.

I opened the door and found the house empty. I saw a note written in my mom's handwriting.

_Jolene had a health scare. At the hospital. No idea how long we're going to be. If you're hungry, there's stuff in the fridge to make a sandwich with or there's leftovers._

_Hope to see you soon._

_Love,_

_Mom, dad & Jolene_

I made myself a snack and got started on my schoolwork. I did the best I could on most of it and settled back to watch TV.

I was fast asleep when my mom, dad and Jolene entered the house. I looked at the clock on the TV – 11:30.

I said goodnight to each of my family members before going to my room to go to bed.

As I fell asleep, I dreamed of my life after middle and high school, hoping I was successful.

I turned over on my side and curled into a ball. Within minutes, I was asleep.


	20. Time To Say Goodbye, part 3

CHAPTER TWENTY  
(chapter title – Time to Say Goodbye, part 3)

_A week later_

"I'm sorry, Ella, but Hope isn't doing well. She's showing the signs of the equine virus that's going around. There's not much that we can do for her." Courfrayac told Ella. The two of them, plus Cassidy, Grantaire and Joly, stood outside Hope's stall. Marius was at home with Jace and Felicity while the other kids were over at the Thenardier's.

"M-May I say goodbye to her?" Ella asked, her voice shaking. Joly nodded and opened Hope's stall door. She slowly made her way over to her beloved horse, feeling the tears stream down her cheeks. She had owned Hope for five years and couldn't believe that her dearest friend was dying.

The vet looked up and moved aside so that Ella could have some special time with Hope. Hope was lying in the straw, her coat darkened with sweat. Ella stroked her beloved horse's neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hope's breathing became labored. The vet, Cassidy, Joly and Courfrayac got Hope onto her feet and led her outside. Grantaire and Ella followed closely behind.

Courfrayac and Joly had dug a grave for Hope in the back pasture. Ella cried into Cassidy's fleece jacket as Hope took one last breath and fell into the grave that Courfrayac and Joly dug.

Cassidy felt tears in her own eyes as she held Ella, rubbing Ella's back and letting her know that Hope was in a better place.

"At least she's not suffering anymore." Cassidy told Ella as they went to Courfrayac and Joly's house for some hot chocolate.

Ella avoided conversation and went to explore the house. She found Courfrayac's cat, Mrs. Sugar, curled up in her cat bed. Ella sat next to the beautiful calico and stroked her soft fur.

"Ella, sweetie, where are you?" Cassidy called.

"Petting Mrs. Sugar." Ella called back, her voice sad.

Cassidy found where Ella was and sat next to her, taking her in her arms. Ella felt new tears in her eyes as Cassidy soothed her.

The two of them headed back to the Pontmercy's house. Cassidy listened to the radio while Ella looked out the window. Cassidy knew what she was going through.

"Honey, I know what you're going through," Cassidy said, turning off the radio, "when I was your age, I lost my beloved horse."

"No offense, mom, but I really don't feel like talking right now." Ella said, continuing to stare out the window. Cassidy nodded and continued driving.

When they reached the house, Ella was out of the car before Cassidy turned off the ignition. She sprinted to the house and ran to her room on the second floor. She then slammed the door and threw herself upon her bed, crying her eyes out.

"What happened?" Marius asked as Cassidy came in the house.

"Hope died today and Ella's taking it really hard." Cassidy answered, throwing her arms around Marius' neck. He rubbed her back and kissed her ear.

After a while, Marius went to Ella's room. He opened the door and saw Ella, sitting on her bed, looking at a picture in her hands.

"Honey, I'm so sorry about Hope." Marius told Ella as he sat next to her and stroked her hair. Ella didn't say or do anything, except look at the picture. Marius looked over Ella's shoulder and smiled at the picture.

It showed Ella in full English riding gear and holding Hope's reins, a big smile on Ella's face. She was ten in the picture and remembered the day perfectly.

"My first horse show with Hope." Ella croaked after a while.

"Your mother and I were so proud of you," Marius said, putting an arm around Ella's shoulders, "I think you were proud of yourself, too. Even though you didn't get the blue ribbon, you were still positive throughout the day."

Ella smiled and looked at the picture, running a finger over Hope's features. She then set the picture down and picked up one of her stuffed animals.

"You know, sweetie, it's okay to talk about death, if you want." Marius told Ella.

"I don't want to talk about death, dad." Ella said, turning over on her side. Marius rubbed her back and kissed her forehead.

"Come down when you can, okay? Mom and I want to talk to you about something." Marius said, getting off Ella's bed.

"You guys aren't having another baby, are you?" Ella asked, sitting up.

"No, we're not. It's something we're gonna talk to you, Anton, Ryan and Cosette about. Felicity and Jace are too young to know what's going on." Marius said.

Ella decided to follow her dad downstairs. She saw Cassidy sitting on a chair, head in her hands. Marius stood next to her as Ella, Anton, Ryan and Cosette sat on the couches and chairs in the living room.

"Did you tell the kids?" Cassidy asked.

"Not yet. I thought we could tell them together." Marius told her, sitting next to her.

"What's going on?" Ella inquired, completely confused.

"My sister, Bridget is coming to live with us. She's going through a really tough time right now." Cassidy told her four eldest children.

"Will I have to give up my room?" Anton asked. Cassidy shook her head.

"She'll be staying in the guest bedroom while she's here," Marius chimed in, looking at his watch, "I need to leave now to go get her."

"Can I come with you?" Ella asked. Marius smiled and nodded. The two of them exited the house and got in the car.

"Any reason why you wanted to come?" Marius asked as they headed to the airport.

"I wanted to get out of the house." Ella answered, turning her attention to her dad.

"I think you'll like your aunt Bridget – she's a lot like you." Marius said.

"Dad, I met her at uncle Cedric's memorial service. I remember her." Ella reminded her dad.

"I forgot. I'm sorry." Marius said.

There was a moment of silence before Ella spoke.

"Dad, do you think Hope's happier wherever she is?"

"She is galloping in Horse Heaven, happier now than she's ever been in her life." Marius told his eldest.

"I'll see her again, right?" Ella asked.

"Of course you will. Until then, you have Windy and her unborn foal to think about." Marius reminded his daughter. Windy was now four-years-old and looked like both her parents with each passing day. She was also eight months pregnant with her first foal. An unknown stallion had gotten in with her, which resulted in Windy getting pregnant.

They reached the airport a few minutes later and got something to eat from the food court.

"So, what's going on in The White Queen?" Ella asked, taking a bite of her hot dog.

"Elizabeth's expecting her fourth child. She and Edward have three daughters and she's hoping it's a boy. Elizabeth's father and one of her brothers have been killed and Warrick is plotting to take the throne away from Elizabeth." Marius said, also taking a bite of his hot dog.

"Do you think I could watch it with you sometime?" Ella asked.

"That would be fine with me. Are you okay with sex scenes?" Marius questioned, making Ella choke on her soda.

"We're learning about it in Sex Education at school." Ella told her dad.

They talked some more about the show and a comedy that Ella loved called The Big Bang Theory. She and Marius planned to watch the entire first season and the first four episodes of The White Queen.

"I think Bridget's plane is here." Marius told Ella. Ella stood up and threw their hot dogs away as Bridget came toward them.

"Marius, Ella, so good to see you!" Bridget told Marius and Ella, hugging both of them. The two of them hugged her back and led her to baggage claim. Bridget's bag was the first one off the carousel and led her to the car.

Ella didn't say much as the three of them headed to the house.

"Ella, how's your horse doin'?" Bridget asked.

"Hope died today – she had an equine virus." Ella answered, her voice shaking.

"Oh, love. I'm so sorry. Cedric, mum and da will take care of her until you see her again." Bridget told her niece, smiling at her.

"On the other hand, Windy's expecting her first foal in two months." Ella spoke up after a while.

"Who's Windy?" Bridget asked.

"She's Hope's daughter. If she has a filly, I'm naming her Hope II." Ella said, staring out the window.

There was silence after that. Ella put in her earphones as Bridget and Marius talked in low voices. Ella stared out the window as she sang along with the current song.

A short while later, the car reached the Pontmercy's place. Ella took out her earphones and got out of the car. Marius helped Bridget with her bags as Ella held the door open for them.

Cassidy smiled when she saw her sister. Bridget walked over to Cassidy and hugged her around the neck, looking at the precious baby in her arms.

"This is Jace. Felicity is in her pack-and-play, if you want to see her." Cassidy told Bridget, indicating to a pink pack-and-play next to the couch. Bridget smiled and looked at the sleeping baby before carefully picking her up.

"My friend, Grantaire, is going to join us for dinner, okay?" Marius told Cassidy. She nodded, focusing all her attention on Jace. Marius looked at Felicity, who like her brother, was fast asleep. The younger set of twins were now three months old. Felicity was starting to sleep through the night, whereas Jace would wake up every two hours to be fed, rocked, changed, etc.

She and Marius exited the nursery and went to join their family. Bridget and Ella were setting the table, laughing and singing songs. Anton was filling water glasses and the older set of twins were putting silverware on the table.

Cassidy went to check on the stir-fry as Marius answered the door. Grantaire entered and removed his winter jacket, which Cosette put into the coat closet.

"Grantaire, this is Cassidy's sister, Bridget. Bridget, this is one of our good friends, Raphael Grantaire, but he goes by Grantaire." Marius introduced Bridget to Grantaire. Grantaire smiled and kissed Bridget's hand. Bridget smiled back and felt her cheeks turn bright red. She knew she was blushing and it felt good. It had been a long time since someone had done this to her.

At dinner, Bridget was seated next to Marius and Cassidy. Grantaire sat across the table from her. Cassidy saw her sister smile and occasionally laugh throughout dinner.

Grantaire, Ella and Bridget did dishes while Marius and Cassidy put the youngest set of twins down for the night. Ella smiled as Grantaire and Bridget exchanged smiles and glances at each other.

Bridget and Grantaire went to a movie after Ella, Anton, Ryan and Cosette were in bed. Cassidy would wait up for her sister while Marius did some paperwork for court the following day.

"So, tell me about yourself." Grantaire said once he and Bridget found seats and bought their refreshments.

"I've been in three depression centers over the past three months. I lost my job and I'm hopin' while I'm here, I can get a new start," Bridget told Grantaire, feeling him take her hand in his. She pulled hers away, "sorry Grantaire – I'm not ready."

"I'm so sorry for what you went through. I promise I'll make you happy and that no harm will come to you." Grantaire told Bridget, looking into her kind hazel eyes. She smiled and rested her head on Grantaire's shoulder. He was surprised, but accepted it. He wrapped an arm around the back of Bridget's chair and wondered about their future.

_Two weeks later_

"Marius, I want this ring to be absolutely perfect for my queen." Grantaire told Marius as they visited the jewelry store to pick out an engagement ring.

"It will be, 'Taire. Don't worry." Marius assured his friend as they continued to look at rings.

It took a while, but Grantaire settled on the perfect ring. He paid for the ring and the two of them exited the store. They went to lunch at a nearby café to talk about how Grantaire was going to propose to Bridget.

"How does a moonlight picnic sound?" Marius suggested.

"Not romantic enough."

"What's your idea of romantic?" Marius asked his friend.

"Candlelit dinner at my place. Romantic instrumental music. Good food and wine," Grantaire answered, taking a bite of his food. "I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs with white wine to drink."

"Sounds a lot like Lady and the Tramp if you ask me." Marius said.

"If you think about it, Bridget and myself are like Lady and the Tramp. Bridget's like Lady – kind, beautiful, sweet. I'm like Tramp – loveable, friendly." Grantaire told Marius. Marius smiled and nodded, agreeing with his friend.

Marius and Grantaire finished their lunches and went their separate ways.

"Let me know how it went." Marius told Grantaire.

"I will." Grantaire promised, rising from his chair.

* * *

The last candle was lit when there was a knock at the door. Grantaire straightened up and went to answer the door.

Bridget stood in the doorway, wearing a green mid-thigh dress with a black sweater over it. Her hair was down and curled at the ends. She wore a little makeup and small silver hoop earrings. On her feet were brown ankle boots. Around her neck hung a silver treble clef charm. The chain was also silver and very thin.

"Welcome to Casa de la Grantaire," Grantaire told Bridget, escorting her inside and closed the door behind her. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you." Bridget thanked him as he led her to the small kitchen.

"Some wine or an appetizer?" Grantaire offered.

"Some wine, please." Bridget said. Grantaire smiled and poured her a glass of his favorite white wine. They toasted each other and drunk their wine.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Grantaire asked, smiling at the young lady sitting in front of him. He took her hand and gently kissed it, making Bridget giggle.

"Only a dozen times." Bridget said, smiling when Grantaire placed a steaming bowl of spaghetti in front of her. She took a bite and was in love – the spaghetti and the sauce were perfect. She swore she heard an instrumental version of Bella Notte playing softly.

"Bridget, can I ask you something?" Grantaire asked after dinner had been eaten. She nodded and leaned back in her chair. "Ever since I saw you, I knew you were the one for me. You are the wind beneath my wings, the one thing I cannot live without. What I'm trying to say is, Bridget Claire Davis, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Bridget didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded as Grantaire slipped an engagement ring onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly. Grantaire rose from Bridget's side and stood up. Bridget also rose from her chair and looked into Grantaire's kind hazel eyes. He kissed her ever so gently as they made their way to Grantaire's room. Things only got better from there.

It was going on 2:45 in the morning when Marius' cell phone rang, startling him out of a deep slumber. He blinked and looked to see who it was.

"Grantaire, you do realize it's 2:45 in the bloody morning." Marius growled.

"I have a new angel and I want to shout it from the rooftops!" Grantaire whispered. Marius was a little more awake. He felt Cassidy stir next to him, but she didn't wake up.

"Bridget said 'yes' didn't she and you two-" he lowered his voice so Cassidy wouldn't hear. "did the deed, right?"

"It felt marvelous! I cannot wait to marry her!" Grantaire almost sang into Marius' ear. Marius rolled his eyes and expected his friend to burst into song at any minute.

"I'm glad for you. I need to sleep – I have to be at court tomorrow morning. I'm so happy that she said 'yes' and I also cannot wait for you two to get married and produce offspring." Marius said quickly before hanging up.

Grantaire didn't mind. He hung up the phone and looked over at Bridget. She was on her side, facing away from him. Grantaire slowly turned her over on her back and studied her. He then kissed her forehead and went back to sleep, counting the days until they became man and wife.


	21. Ella's Point of View

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE  
(chapter title – Ella's Point of View)

I sighed and lead against my locker, not looking forward to another boring day at school. I would rather be in the one place I love – the barn.

I turned the knob on my locker, turning my combination when something made me look over my shoulder. Sara came cantering towards me, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey. Make up with your parents?" I asked, getting the books I needed for that afternoon's classes.

"Yes! And lookit what I have!" Sara said, holding a paper in my face. I looked closer and saw a red A- on her latest French quiz.

"That's awesome! Your tutor, Will, must be so-" I started to say when something – or rather someone – caught my eye.

He looked to be the same age as Sara and I. He had brown dreadlocks that came to his shoulders, brown eyes and a handsome build. He wore a green T-shirt and jeans. On his feet, he wore white sneakers.

"Ella? Hello? Earth to Ella, Earth to Ella. Come in Ella!" I heard Sara's voice buzzing in my ears. I blinked and turned my attention to my best friend.

"Sorry. I was focusing on that hottie over there." I told her, nodding to the hot guy I had my eye on. She turned and looked at the guy I was staring at.

"Go talk to him! He's in my History class and is really sweet. His name is Tomas Horowitz." Sara told me, shoving me towards the handsome guy. I stumbled and felt him catch me.

"Careful. You okay?" he asked, his voice calm and warm, like butter melting over toast. I stared into his eyes and instantly felt a connection. I couldn't feel my tongue, so I just nodded.

The warning bell rang somewhere in the distance. I moved as quickly as I could to my next class, Sara and Tomas following behind me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Tomas said as we took our seats.

"E-E-Ella. My name is Ella." I told him, feeling my heart pound faster and my knees grow weak.

"I'm Tomas. It's a pleasure to meet you." He told me, reaching across the aisle and kissed my hand. I felt myself blush as our English Literature teacher, Mrs. Harris, entered the room, carrying a stack of papers.

She assigned us partners and a Shakespeare play. To my luck, I was paired with Tomas and our play was Romeo and Juliet. Our assignment was to read a scene from the play and act it out for the class.

"I think we should do the end of the play – it's my favorite part and the most powerful bit of the play." Tomas told me as we exited the classroom. It was our last class of the day. We decided to go to my place to do our homework.

"I agree – I love that part." I told him, going to my car as he went to his. I had given him directions to my place and we would do the assignment there. If things went well, I would ask him to stay for dinner, if it was okay with mom and dad.

We reached my place ten minutes later. I pulled into the driveway first, Tomas right behind me.

"Let's go to my room." I told Tomas as we entered the house. Mom was home, dad was working and my siblings, besides Felicity and Jace, were at school.

I opened the door and crept inside, motioning for Tomas to follow me. I closed the door behind him and the two of us crept upstairs to my room.

"Excuse the mess – I wasn't expecting company." I told Tomas as I turned on the overhead light and we entered my room.

"It's fine – you should see my room." Tomas said as we spread out on my bed. I made sure to keep my door open so I could hear my mom and siblings.

We did our homework for a while before I felt Tomas' eyes on me. I looked up from writing and looked over at him.

"I was wondering if you had a date for Prom." Tomas told me.

"Prom isn't for another four months." I reminded him.

"Are you going or not?" he asked.

"I am – Sara and I usually go together."

"How would you like to go with me?" he asked, catching me off-guard.

"I would love to, but you have to meet my parents first. Mom is taking care of my twin siblings and dad should be home from work soon," I told him, then slapping my forehead, "would you like to stay for dinner? It would be the opportune time to meet my parents and my younger brothers and sisters."

"Sure, that'd be cool. Then maybe tomorrow, you can meet my mom and brother." Tomas told me, pulling me close. I felt my heart racing in my chest as he continued to stare at me.

"Why are you always staring at me?" I asked as I put my books away.

"Because you are so pretty," He answered. I felt myself blush. "that's nothing to blush about. You really are beautiful."

I ran a hand through my hair and got off my bed as I heard someone come up the stairs. Anton poked his head in my room.

"Mom says she needs your help downstairs with Felicity and Jace," Anton told me, staring at Tomas. "who's that? Is he your boyfriend?"

"What? No! Anton, this is Tomas, Tomas this is my oldest brother, Anton." I introduced the two of them as Anton and I made our way down the stairs.

As Anton passed by us, I saw Tomas reach out and fluff his hair.

I went to the twins' nursery and saw mom running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Tomas leaned against the doorframe and watched us.

"Mom? What's going on?" I asked, watching her with the twins. They were now seven months old and the cutest little things I've ever seen.

"Bridget and I have some wedding planning to do – it's not easy being Maid of Honor. Your dad is running late, so I need you to help out." Mom told me as Felicity started crying.

"Mom, my friend Tomas and I can handle it from here, if you want to go." I assured her, picking Felicity up and held her to my chest. Tomas entered the room and stood next to me like a proud dad.

"May I hold her?" Tomas asked. I looked down at Felicity, kissed her forehead and handed her to Tomas. "What's her name?"

"Felicity." I answered as I felt someone grab my arm and yank me out of the room. I turned around and saw mom standing in front of me. "Ow! What the heck was that for?"

"Who is that boy?" mom asked.

"That's my friend, Tomas. He's really nice, polite and sweet." I told her.

"How long have you known him?" mom wanted to know.

"He's in my classes at school," I told her, half lying – I had only met him that afternoon, "we can handle it from here."

"I don't like the idea that the two of you are alone in the house." Mom told me.

"I could call someone if that would make you feel better," I suggested, "what about Feuilly?"

Mom hesitated for a moment before handing me the phone. I called Feuilly as Tomas came up beside me. I could feel mom staring at him, judging him.

I hung up the phone a short while later and turned to my mom.

"Feuilly will be here in ten minutes." I told her, rolling my eyes and went back to the nursery, Tomas following right behind me.

"So, what's going on?" Tomas whispered as I changed Jace's diaper.

"Mom doesn't trust me alone with you, so my dad's friend Feuilly is coming over to keep an eye on us until my dad gets home." I explained.

"That's fine. I have a feeling your mom doesn't like me." Tomas whispered in my ear.

"She does. She just doesn't trust me alone with you." I told him, finishing up with Jace. I slowly backed out of the room and turned on the monitor so we could hear the babies.

We moved our homework to the living room just as Feuilly arrived. He hugged me and I introduced him to Tomas. Feuilly smiled and shook Tomas' hand.

"Well, I better get going. Mom will wonder where I am." Tomas told me, kissing my forehead. I smiled up at him and walked him to his car.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." I told him, feeling my heart melt like butter.

"Yeah. Maybe we could study at my place." Tomas said as the car roared to life.

"That'd be cool." I told him, watching him back out of the driveway and into the oncoming night.

I sighed and went back inside, pulling my sweater closer to my body. I took off my shoes and made myself a latte.

"Ella, who was that boy?" Feuilly asked.

"Friend from school. Don't worry, Feuilly, he's really nice." I assured him.

"It's not him that I'm worried about." Feuilly said. I rolled my eyes.

"Feuilly, I'm sixteen-" I started to argue.

"I don't care – I think you two should be supervised." Feuilly told me.

"We're high schoolers, not elementary school children!" I shot back.

"Ella, do not take that tone with me. I'm just concerned about you." He told me, his voice gentle.

"We haven't done anything!" I told him, tears stinging the back of my eyes. I don't know why I was getting worked up about this. Feuilly was just concerned about Tomas and my relationship. "We got assigned to work on a paper for our English Literature class. It's Romeo and Juliet – we're doing the final scene of the play. We have to write our own script and perform it for the class."

There was a moment of silence before Feuilly spoke.

"I guess I judged you too soon. I'm sorry – I thought you two were doing something else."

"It's okay," I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "we're saving that for Prom."

His eyes got wide and he paled a little.

"Feuilly, I'm kidding." I told him, laughing. Feuilly smiled and laughed nervously.

The two of us heated up some food as I finished my homework. The house was unusually quiet – Anton was at a friend's house, as were Ryan and Cosette. Felicity and Jace were in the nursery, fast asleep.

I was finishing my math homework when my dad entered the house. He kissed the top of my head and looked over my shoulder.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Homework for English Lit. We got assigned a partner and a Shakespeare play. My partner, Tomas, went home half an hour ago. Our play is Romeo and Juliet. We have to rewrite a scene from the play and perform it for the class." I explained, taking a sip of my latte.

"Are you hungry?" dad asked. I shook my head as Feuilly left.

I finished writing my part of the script and went to my room to get ready for bed. I read a little bit of my new book before feeling myself grow tired. I turned off the lamp next to my bed and got comfortable. I fell asleep a few minutes later, dreaming of Tomas.

* * *

The following day at school, I couldn't concentrate. I could feel Tomas' eyes on me wherever I went or whatever I did. It also didn't help that we had most of our classes together.

That afternoon, we went to his place to finish working on the script for English Lit. We were in his room, his ten-year-old brother, Kevin, was in the other room, playing video games with a friend. Tomas' mother, Helen, was working and wouldn't be home until later.

I was working at Tomas' desk when I felt him come up behind me and run a hand down my jawline. I looked over my shoulder and saw Tomas standing there, a big smile on his face.

"What are you always smiling about?" I asked, rising from the chair.

"You. I can't stop thinking about you." He purred in my ear. I pulled away from him and stared at him.

"Tomas, what are you saying?" I asked, my heart and thoughts racing.

"I love you, Ella." He whispered in my ear. I was shocked as he drew me closer to him.

"I-I don't know what to say." I answered, feeling him kiss my neck. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't.

"Don't you love me?" Tomas inquired, leading me to his bed. He laid on top of me and looked into my eyes.

"I do," I said, feeling him put his hands under my shirt and run his fingers over my skin. I didn't know what he was doing, but I enjoyed it. He had me sit up so he could remove my shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Loving you." He answered, kissing my collarbone, his hands on my ribcage. He put a hand under my chin and drew me close to him. I kissed him, taking in his salty-sweet taste.

He lifted my shirt over my head and unsnapped my bra. His hands went to my breasts and massaged them, still kissing me.

"Tomas." The word escaped my lips as he put a hand down my jeans.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." He assured me as he unzipped my jeans.

"Tomas, I have to go. I'm sorry." I apologized, getting off of him. I found my clothes and put them back on.

"Did I go to far?" he asked, putting his shirt back on.

"No, you didn't," I answered, zipping my jeans up. "It's just – I've never done that before."

"You've never made out with someone?" he asked as we headed upstairs.

"No – I've never had a boyfriend," I told him. I found my sandals and put them on just as my phone rang. "Hello?...Courfrayac?...what's going on?...she is! I'm on my way!"

"Who was that?" Tomas asked as I headed out the door.

"That was my uncle Courfrayac – my horse, Windy, is having her foal!" I squeaked. I had gotten a ride from Tomas from school, since my car had broken down.

"Who is Windy and what's a foal?" Tomas asked as I climbed into the front seat of his car.

"Windy is my horse – actually, my horse's daughter and a foal is horse talk for baby." I explained, giving him directions to Joly and Courfrayac's barn.

We arrived twenty minutes later. I got out of the car before Tomas turned off the ignition. I made a mad dash for the barn, but slowed down when I came to Windy's stall.

The top half of her tail was wrapped with green medical tape. She was pacing the length of her stall and occasionally, bit at her side.

"How long has she been in labor?" I asked, not taking my eyes off Windy. I felt Tomas come up next to me.

"For two hours," Courfrayac answered, looking over at me. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Tomas. Tomas, these are my dad's good friends, Courfrayac and Joly." I introduced the three of them, returning my gaze to Windy.

"What a pretty horse." Tomas marveled as Windy looked over at us. She then nickered in pain as a contraction shot through her.

"She's mine – her full name is Tomorrow's Wind, but I call her Windy. Her mother died a year ago – her name was Hope For Tomorrow," I said. I then turned my attention to Courfrayac. "has the vet been called yet?"

"Yeah. He should be here soon." Courfrayac told me.

Dr. Cole arrived five minutes later and entered Windy's stall. I ducked under the guardrail and held Windy's halter so that the vet could examine her properly. I stroked her nose as the vet checked the foal's positioning.

"The foal looks good, but it's a wee bit stuck. I'm going to try and help her." Dr. Cole told me. I nodded and tightened my hold on Windy's halter.

Fifteen minutes later, the vet said I could let go. Windy went to the middle of her stall and laid down on her side. I ducked back under the guardrail and stood next to Tomas as the vet stood in the back of the stall, just in case Windy needed help at all.

When it looked like Windy wasn't getting anywhere, Courfrayac and Joly went up to the house to make something to eat. Tomas, the vet and I stayed with Windy. I didn't want to leave her and I'm sure Tomas didn't want to leave me.

"Tomas, if you need to go home, you're more than welcome to go. Dr. Cole and I can handle it from here." I told him, putting two hay bales together and found a horse blanket to use.

"I just called my mom to let her know what was going on. She says I can stay with you." Tomas told me, also getting two hay bales to sleep on. I found him an extra horse blanket just as Courfrayac entered the barn with two steaming plates of food.

We ate our food and played at least four games of Go Fish before Dr. Cole signaled me over. I put my cards down and went to Windy's stall.

She was on her side, grunting in pain. I ducked under the guardrail and went to Windy's side. I could see a foreleg sticking out.

It took ten pushes before the most beautiful little foal entered the world. The foal was the color of burnt straw with a darker mane and tail. The foal also had a blaze that ran down the middle of its forehead. I could also see three uneven white socks – two on its front feet on one on its left back leg.

"What did she have?" I asked the vet as Windy licked her foal clean. Windy got to her feet and encouraged her foal to do the same. The vet went to the foal and looked under its tail.

"She had a filly!" the vet announced, startling the foal.

"She's beautiful!" I whispered, feeling tears in my eyes. I knew that Hope was looking down from Horse Heaven, happy with her new grandfoal. I suddenly got the perfect name "Hope II."

"What?" the vet asked as he did a full inspection on the foal, making sure she was okay.

"Her name – Hope II." I told him, watching as the little foal nursed for the first time. I exited the stall and went to write the foal's information in the foal book near Joly's barn office.

I then went back to my hay bale and looked at Tomas. He had moved his hay bale bed closer to mine.

"I'm going to leave now, since both mother and daughter seem fine." Dr. Cole told me.

"Thank you so much for everything." I thanked him, watching him leave.

"I think I better go, too, but not before I meet Hope II." Tomas told me, getting up from the hay bale. We put the bales back, along with the horse blankets. I led the way to the birthing stall and the two of them watched the horses inside the stall. Windy had her head resting on Hope II's hindquarters. Hope II had her head on Windy's shoulder. The two of them were fast asleep.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"She's beautiful, and her owner's not bad, either." Tomas answered, kissing my cheek. I rested my head on his shoulder before leaving the barn.

"I was wondering if you would like to be my plus one for my aunt Bridget's wedding. It's the 24th of September. I know it's kind of short notice." I said.

"I would love to." He told me as he got into his car.

"I'm one of the bridesmaids, so I would have to sit at the Head Table, but I think you're sitting with some nice people." I told him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, as always. Do you need a ride home?" he asked. I nodded and climbed into the front seat. I held onto the sides of the seat as we zoomed to my house. Loud heavy metal music poured from the speakers as Tomas sang along.

We reached my house a few minutes later. I thanked Tomas for the ride and entered the house as he zoomed off.

I entered the house and went right to my room to take a shower and go to bed. As I took my shower, I could feel Tomas' hands on me, his lips caressing my skin.

I got out of my shower and was about to get into bed when my cell phone rang. I looked at who was calling – it was Sara.

"Hey." I greeted my best friend.

"Ella, is mother there?" she asked.

"I don't think so. Why? Are you okay?" I asked, a little frantic.

"I'm fine, but she's been missing all day. She's not answering her phone or returning any of my texts." Sara told me.

"Maybe her phone died." I suggested.

"ELLA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" dad roared.

"Um, I need to go – I'm being summoned. Let me know when you find your mom." I told Sara, hanging up my phone and went downstairs. Dad stood at the bottom of the stairs, an angry look on his face.

"When were you going to tell me that you had a boy in your room without my permission?" dad questioned.

"Mom didn't tell you he was here? He's a friend of mine from school – we're working on a script together for our English Lit class." I said, my voice trembling.

"She told me that you two were working in your room!" dad said, his voice rising.

"We had the door open!" I argued, feeling my temper rise.

His face softened as he looked at me. I blinked back tears as he stared at me.

"Windy had her foal – a filly that I named Hope II." I told my dad, changing the subject.

"Congratulations to her. Was your friend with you?" he inquired.

"Yeah, but also Courfrayac, Joly and Dr. Cole." I answered honestly.

There was no talk after that – we were both tired. I hugged him and went back to my room. I dialed Tomas' number and waited for an answer.

"Hello!" Tomas' soothing voice greeted me.

"Hey. Just wanted to see if you made it home safely."

"I did. I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just missing you."

"I miss you, too."

"We'll see each other tomorrow – school."

"Want to do something after school?"

"Like what?"

"Go to a movie or something."

"A movie sounds good to me."

"Great. Afterwards, we can go to my place and hang out."

"Okay."

We talked for a while longer before Tomas had to go – his phone was low on battery. He said those three sacred words that I have heard only my family members and Tomas one time utter.

"I love you."

I finally had the courage to say them back to him.

"I love you, too."

* * *

After school the following day, Tomas and I decided to see a movie and go to his place afterwards. Kevin was at a friend's house and their mother was working late.

We were both sitting on Tomas' bed, holding hands. Tomas would stroke my hair and look into my eyes.

"I just want us to try it for a while before Prom night." Tomas told me. I nodded and felt him climb on top of me. We kissed each other for a while before Tomas lifted my shirt over my head. He then removed his shirt and removed my bra. He kissed my chest for a while, his hands sneaking down my body.

"You won't hurt me, will you?" I asked, kissing him.

"I won't hurt you – I promise," He replied, unzipping my jeans. He removed them, along with my underwear. He also removed his jeans and boxers. "you ready?"

"Yeah." I answered. He kissed my collarbone as he entered me, making me gasp.

"It's okay." Tomas assured me, going even further inside me. I felt him find his rhythm as he continued to make love to me.

By the time we finished, I was sweating profusely, as was Tomas.

"How are you feeling?" Tomas asked as we put our clothes back on.

"I feel great – that was wonderful." I told him, completely satisfied.

"You were wonderful," Tomas said, kissing my temple. "I got you something."

"You didn't have to get me anything," I told him as he sat next to me and placed a necklace around my neck. It was a silver chain with a silver horsehead charm on it. "Tomas, it's beautiful! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. It looks beautiful on you." Tomas told me, kissing my collarbone. I turned so I was facing him and kissed him back.

He held me for a while longer before I had to get home. Tomas offered to give me a ride, which I was grateful for.

"The school musical is coming up. I was thinking about auditioning." Tomas told me, turning down the volume on the radio.

"What musical is it?" I asked.

"Fiddler on the Roof. I'm auditioning for Perchik. You should audition for Tzidle."

"I really can't sing, but other than that, I love the theater." I told him, looking out the window.

Tomas turned off the radio and stopped at a red light.

"Sing me something – anything."

"Um, o-kay. Why exactly?"

"I've never heard you sing."

"Okay. I'll sing Misty Mountain – it's from The Hobbit."

"I like that song."

"_Far over the Misty Mountains cold  
To dungeons deep and caverns old  
We must away ere break of day,  
To find our long-forgotten gold_

_The pines were roaring on the height  
The winds were moaning in the night  
The fire was red, it flaming spread  
The trees like torches blazed the night_ – that's all I remember." I told him, brushing my hair out of my face.

"That was really good! You should sing that for your audition song!" Tomas told me as we pulled into the driveway. I smiled and kissed his cheek. He kissed me and smiled against my lips. I got out of the car and thanked him for the ride.

My parents were at a doctor's appointment for Felicity and Jace, Anton was at a soccer game and the older twins were at a friend's house, according to the note my dad left me.

I went upstairs to my room and called Sara.

"Hey. How's your cold doing?" I asked.

"It's a little better. How was your date with Tomas?"

"Great. We went to a movie and then went back to his place."

"What are you up to now?"

"Watching last night's episode of The White Queen. Dad was right – this is a really good show!"

"I've seen bits and pieces. I can't wait for Black Sails in January."

"What's that?"

"It's the show about pirates."

"Oh, that does look good!"

"It's not Pirates of the Caribbean."

"I know – it's your favorite movie series," I told my best friend, grinning. My phone buzzed, which meant I was getting another call. "Hold on, I'm getting another call. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

I hung up with Sara and pressed the 'call waiting' button on my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ella." It was Tomas, but he didn't sound like himself. I turned off the TV so I could hear him properly.

"Tomas? Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yes and no – I'm getting ready for surgery now."

"Surgery? For what?"

"When I was coming home from dropping you off, I hit a deer and some of the glass from the windshield got in my leg."

"Oh my God! I'm on my way!"

"Do you have a ride?"

"No, but I could ride my bike – it's not that far."

"I'm going into surgery now. I'll see you soon."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

I quickly ran down the stairs, scribbled a note for my parents, grabbed my bike helmet and got my bike out of the garage. I pedaled as fast as I could towards the hospital, hoping that I wasn't too late.

I reached the hospital half an hour later. I locked my bike on the bike rack and stepped inside the hospital.

I walked to the nurse's station and asked about Tomas Horowitz.

"Are you family?" the nurse asked.

"I'm his girlfriend." I told the nurse, stroking the horsehead charm around my neck, praying that she would let me see him.

"He's in surgery right now, but should be in recovery in an hour." The nurse told me, handing me a nametag. I quickly scribbled down my name and handed the paper to the nurse.

"What floor is he on?" I asked.

"The fourth." She answered, going back to her paperwork. I thanked her and made my way to the elevator. I stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

I stepped out of the elevator and went to the fourth-floor waiting room. I got my phone out of my pocket and called my parents to let them know what was going on. I told them I would grab something to eat downtown as well.

"Be home before dark." Mom told me.

"I will be," I assured her as a doctor came into the waiting room. There was no one else but me here, so I knew he was here for me. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."

"Are you here for Tomas Horowitz?" the doctor asked. I nodded and stood up. "I'm Dr. Black and I've been taking care of him since he arrived."

"Has his mother or brother been in to see him yet?" I asked as I followed him down the hall.

"No – you're the first visitor he's had. He has some damage to his upper leg, calf and his ankle. He'll be fine, don't worry," The doctor assured me, indicting to a dimly lit hospital room. "he's asleep right now, but I'm sure he'll wake up when he senses your company."

I thanked the doctor and took a step into the room. The only other time I had been in a hospital room was when my mom had Anton. I hated hospitals and wanted to be out of here as soon as possible.

He was fast asleep towards the back of the room. The only sounds that filled the air was the machines he was hooked up to and my breathing. I sat next to him and took his hand in mine. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at me.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" I asked, running my thumb up and down his knuckle.

"I could be better." He answered, his voice hoarse.

"Other than your leg, do you have any other damage?" I inquired.

"No, I don't." He told me, bringing his hand to my face. I closed my eyes as he ran his thumb over my cheek. "Honey, don't cry. I only have to stay in the hospital for a week then I'll be in a wheelchair for a while."

"What about Prom and my aunt Bridget's wedding?" I asked, feeling the tears run down my cheeks.

"I'll be up and around for Prom, but for your aunt's wedding, I'll have my wheelchair. We'll still have fun," he assured me. "tell me about your bridesmaids dress."

"It's black with a low-cut neck and comes mid-calf. It also has a pretty pink bow around the middle." I told him.

"It sounds beautiful. How are you going to style your hair?"

"French knot. It's what all the bridesmaids are getting."

"You're going to be the prettiest one there." He told me, his voice heavy with sleep.

"I should let you sleep," I said, rising from the chair. I glanced out the window and was happy that the sun was still shining. "I told my parents I would be home before dark and that I would get something to eat downtown."

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I placed a kiss on his cheek and exited the room, hoping that I would see him soon.

* * *

I stood in the mirror and admired myself from every angle. It was the day of aunt Bridget's wedding and all of us bridesmaids – Eponine, Evanna, mom, Cosette, Felicity Sara and myself – were getting ready. Cosette and Felicity were flower girls. Jace and Ryan were the ring bearers.

I slipped on my black shoes and smiled at aunt Bridget. She looked so beautiful – she wore an ivory dress that came mid-thigh and had quarter-length sleeves. It also had a six-foot train. Her veil completely hid her face, but I could see that she looked amazing.

"Girls? Are you ready?" dad called into the dressing room.

"Yes!" we all shouted back. We filed out of the room and went to stand with our partners. I was walking with Anton and we were fourth in line. The order went – mom and dad, Grantaire, Thomas and Evanna, Anton and myself, Enjolras and Eponine, Felicity and Cosette, Jace and Ryan. Aunt Bridget and Javert brought up the rear.

I smiled at everyone as Anton and I made our way down the aisle. Dad smiled at us as we took our spots – I stood behind aunt Evanna, while Anton stood behind uncle Thomas.

Felicity, Ryan, Jace and Cosette sat in the front row as everyone rose. Here Comes the Bride was played by the string quartet in the corner. I smiled as aunt Bridget and Javert walked down the aisle. I leaned over and saw Grantaire smiling from ear-to-ear. I then stood straight and adjusted the flowers in my hands.

The ceremony lasted a couple hours, all of which I cried at. While they recited their vows, my gaze wandered over to Tomas. He was seated in the second row, next to Cassidy's son from her previous marriage. His name was James and he seemed really nice. His wife was at home in Ireland with their two-month-old daughter Erin.

"You look beautiful!" Tomas mouthed.

"Thank you!" I mouthed back, turning my attention forward.

The ceremony ended with the priest telling Grantaire that he could kiss his bride. He stepped closer to her, removed her veil and kissed her. The new couple made their way up the aisle as joyful music played. All of us followed them up the aisle as applause rang out throughout the church.

"We're going in the carriage. Are you going to be okay?" mom asked as she, dad, aunt Bridget and uncle Grantaire climbed into a carriage pulled by two elegant white horses.

"Yeah. I think uncle Courfrayac is going to give Anton and I a ride to the reception." I told her as the wedding photographer climbed into the carriage.

"Okay. When we get to the reception hall, the photographer wants to get a photo of us." Dad told me as the driver urged the horses forward. I smiled and followed Courfrayac to his car. Anton and I climbed in the back as Joly got in the front.

It was a short drive to the reception hall. I stood outside the building as the three of them entered. I saw Tomas wheel up and walked over to him, removing my shoes in the process.

"You look absolutely beautiful!" Tomas told me, taking my hand in his. He gently kissed it as I felt myself blush. We entered the building together and found our names and table numbers.

"I'm at the Head Table, but you're at Table Seven with James and some of my dad's friends." I told him, leaning down to kiss Tomas' cheek.

"I think you should wear your dress to Prom." Tomas whispered in my ear.

"Sara and I are going dress shopping this weekend. You don't have to worry about matching my dress, unless you want to." I told him, kissing him again as the DJ announced that the Bride and Groom had arrived.

I found Anton and went to stand in line with my family. I quickly put my shoes back on as Anton and my names were called. There was applause as we went to the Head Table.

Aunt Bridget and uncle Grantaire were the last ones to enter the room. They made their way to the dance floor and held each other as they danced to Unchained Melody.

"The dance floor is now open!" the DJ announced, playing some song from the 80's. I didn't feel like dancing, so I watched everyone else.

"Ella, will you dance with me?" Tomas asked, wheeling over to the Head Table. I smiled and followed him to the dance floor. He put the brakes on his wheelchair and put his hands on my waist, drawing me close. "You're even more beautiful close-up."

"Thank you." I thanked him, looking around. "Want to get out of here? Dinner isn't served for another hour, which will give us time to talk."

"Sure." He told me. I made my way off the dance floor, taking off my shoes again. I found a quiet corner and looked over my shoulder, making sure that Tomas was following me. He was.

I sat on the chair next to his wheelchair and placed my lips on his. He put his hands behind my head and deepened the kisses.

"I can't wait until Prom." He whispered in my ear. I grinned wickedly and placed his hands on my chest. I closed my eyes as he put a hand between my legs, feeling around. I let out a quiet moan as he went further inside me.

"Neither can I." I whispered back, nibbling on his earlobe.

We kissed and talked for a while longer before Anton came over to us. We straightened up and held each other's hands.

"Mom wants us outside so we can take a family picture before Javert takes the younger kids home." He informed me. I kissed Tomas before following my family outside into the cool air.

Before I knew it, the reception ended. Tomas got a ride home from Gavroche, who had a wheelchair lift in his van. His current girlfriend, Anna, was in a wheelchair.

I hummed a random song as I took off my dress and hung it in my closet. I then took out all twenty-seven bobby pins and put them in a drawer in my room.

I was about to get into my shower when my cell phone rang. I made my way back into my room and answered it.

"Hi!" I greeted Tomas a little too loudly.

"I can't stop thinking about you. What are you wearing right now?" Tomas questioned.

"Um, I'm in my bra and underwear. I'm about to get into my shower." I told him, going across the hall to my bathroom and closed the door.

"I bet you look beautiful." Tomas said. I put my phone down and put it on speaker as I removed what I had on and turned on the water for my shower. "YES!"

"What?" I asked, poking my head out of the shower.

"I'm just picturing what you look like and I can see it perfectly." Tomas said.

We talked dirty as I took my shower. I had to be careful what I said and how loud I said it – Anton and the older set of twins' rooms were on this level, along with my room.

"I can't wait to see you at Prom. Any idea what color your dress is going to be yet?" Tomas asked as I got out of the shower.

"I've been looking at dresses online – I'm leaning between green and blue." I told him, going across the hall to my room. I closed the door behind me and got dressed, still talking to Tomas.

We talked for twenty more minutes before my phone beeped – it was getting low on battery.

"I'll see you soon. I love you." I told him, climbing into bed.

"I love you, too. Sleep well." He told me.

I hung up my phone and put it in its charger. I then got into a comfortable position and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

I stood in my bedroom mirror, looking at my dress. It was Prom Night and the theme was Viva Las Vegas. My dress didn't fit with the theme, but I didn't care.

My dress was a sleeveless, ankle-length pale blue dress that came with elbow-length white gloves. My hair was styled in an elegant bun and my nails were painted light blue to match my dress. I had black ballet flats on, since they were the most comfortable shoes I could find.

I put my phone, lip balm, brush and some condoms in my purse before snapping it shut. The purse was also light blue and had a thick strap. I wore it draped over my shoulder at the moment.

I carefully made my way down the stairs and saw my parents, Anton, Cosette, Ryan and Tomas standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ella! You look stunning!" dad told me as he snapped a picture of me. The flash caught me off-guard and I almost tumbled down the stairs. Tomas reached out a hand and steadied me.

Mom and dad snapped picture after picture of the two of us. I pinned his flower to the lapel of his jacket as he placed a beautiful light blue corsage around my wrist.

"Have fun kids!" mom told us, kissing my forehead and watched the two of us go into the night.

Prom was pretty fun. We saw Sara and her date, Eric from the football team. Tomas and I were crowned Prom King and Queen. We danced to a lot of Lady Gaga, Madonna, Prince, Ke$ha, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Jay-Z songs.

Prom ended around midnight, although Tomas and I left around 10:30. We drove a short way to the hotel where Post-Prom was going to be.

"Are you ready?" Tomas asked as we made our way to the hotel room he had rented for the night.

"Yeah." I answered as I followed him into the room. There were rose petals and candles everywhere. He closed the door behind me and placed his hands on my upper arms. He drew me closer to him as he covered me in kisses, his hands going to the back of my dress and unzipped it.

I removed my gloves and shoes as we continued to kiss and explore each other. Tomas led me over to the bed and had me lay down on it. He slid off my underwear as he removed his pants and boxers. He had me sit up so he could discard my bra. He smiled at me as he kissed my collarbone.

"Here we go," he said as he entered me, instantly finding his rhythm. I unbuttoned his shirt with trembling hands and kissed his chest. "Do you mind if I undo your hair?"

"Go ahead." I told him, kissing his sweet face. I felt my hair cascade down my back and Tomas run his fingers through it.

I climbed under the covers and felt Tomas do the same. I rested my head on his chest and fell asleep to the sound of his heart.

"Ella, come on. We need to get you home." Tomas whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes and looked at him, a concerned look on his face.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked, finding my clothes.

"It's 12:30 AM. I told your parents I would have you home at 1:30."

I quickly put my dress on and had Tomas help me with the zipper.

"Do we dare tell our parents that we had sex?" I asked.

"Have you told your parents?" Tomas inquired.

"No. Have you told your mom?"

"No. Let's just keep it that way."

"Tomas, did you use protection?" I asked.

"No. Did you?"

"No." I felt tears in my eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Tomas asked.

"What if I get pregnant? My parents will kill me!" I cried.

"It'll be okay. If you do become pregnant, we'll tell your parents and my mom together." Tomas assured me, kissing my forehead.

We blew out the candles, put on our shoes and exited the room hand-in-hand.

I went straight upstairs when Tomas dropped me off. I was so glad that the following day was Saturday, which meant I got to sleep in.

After I took my shower, I snuck across the hall to my room and put my pajamas on. I then turned off the overhead light, got into bed and was asleep within minutes, dreaming of Tomas and my life together.


	22. Baby Mine, part 1

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO  
(chapter title – Baby Mine, part 1)

A week after Prom, Ella woke up early in the morning when she felt bile rise in her throat. She made a mad dash for the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. She felt herself trembling as she cried and vomited some more. She was done vomiting five minutest later. She slowly rose, flushed the toilet, washed her hands and face before brushing her teeth and went back to bed.

At school the following week, she was sick again and every day after that.

"Tomas, I think we need to go to the doctor. I think I might be pregnant." Ella told Tomas.

"How can you be so sure?" Tomas asked.

"I've been throwing up every morning for the past two weeks and I've missed my period." Ella told her boyfriend.

"Let's go to the free clinic downtown. It's also private." Tomas suggested. Ella nodded and pushed her food away from her as she rested her head on Tomas' shoulder.

Right after school, the two of them headed to the clinic downtown. Ella told the nurse at the front station what was happening with her. The nurse had her fill out paperwork and have a seat.

Ella found a seat towards the back of the cramped waiting room, Tomas sitting next to her.

It took Ella five minutes to fill out the paperwork, which was a good thing because a nurse called her back. Tomas and Ella rose from their seats and followed the nurse toward the back of the clinic.

The nurse had Ella remove her shoes so the nurse could take her height and weight. Ella picked up her shoes as she and Tomas followed the nurse to an examining room. She had Ella sit on the examining table as Tomas sat in the chair next to the examining table.

The nurse asked Ella some personal questions as she took Ella's vitals. Ella answered every question honestly. The nurse glanced at Tomas for the first time.

"Are you two sexually active?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah. We've been for about three months now." Tomas answered as the nurse handed Ella a paper gown.

"Put this on. You can leave your underwear and bra on. Dr. Nichols will be right with you." The nurse told Tomas and Ella. Ella stripped out of her clothes as Tomas folded them neatly and put them in a pile.

Ella sat back on the examining table as a female doctor entered the room. She introduced herself as Dr. Nichols as she shook Ella and Tomas' hands.

"Well, what seems to be the problem?" Dr. Nichols asked, pushing her glasses to the bridge of her nose.

"I think I might be pregnant. I've been throwing up every day for a while and I missed my period." Ella told the doctor.

"When was the last time you two had sex?" the doctor asked.

"A month ago at Prom." Tomas answered.

"Okay, Ella. I'll want to perform a pelvic exam on you. I also want to do a urine test and a blood test." Dr. Nichols told Ella as she continued to examine her. Ella reached out for Tomas' hand and squeezed it.

Ella decided to do the pee test and the blood test first. She came back into the examining room and hopped back onto the table.

Tomas held Ella's hand as the doctor performed Ella's pelvic exam.

"I'm going to take this to the lab – I'll be right back. Ella, you can go ahead and get dressed, sweetie." Dr. Nichols told Ella as she exited the examining room. Ella took off the paper gown and put her clothes back on.

She was brushing her hair into a ponytail when Dr. Nichols came back, a smile on her face.

"Congratulations you two! Ella, it looks like you're about six weeks pregnant." Dr. Nichols told the couple. Ella felt all the color drain from her face.

"There has got to be some mistake – I can't be pregnant! My parents will kill me! I can barely take care of myself, let alone another human!" Ella told the doctor as she felt a panic attack coming on. She slowed her breathing and focused on having her breathing be nice and even.

"You can move in with me. We have a spare bedroom that you and the baby can stay in." Tomas told Ella, kissing her temple.

"My dad is gonna neuter you!" Ella told Tomas.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure they will love you, baby or no baby," Dr. Nichols told Ella, handing her a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. "I want you to take these once a day for the remainder of your pregnancy. I'll be your OBGYN, so that's all set."

"Babies are super expensive. I was also planning on going to college, but now, that dream is gone." Ella said, leaning against Tomas.

"There are scholarships for pregnant girls who want to go to college." Dr. Nichols told Ella, handing her some brochures for the scholarships, Lamaze classes and anything else baby related.

That night, Ella and Tomas told Ella's parents that Ella was pregnant. Just as Ella feared, Marius yelled at her while Cassidy looked and sounded disappointed.

"What example are you setting for your brothers and sisters? What were you thinking? We're very disappointed in you, Ella." Cassidy told her eldest.

"You were going to ride in the Olympics! Now that dream is gone!" Marius yelled. Ella felt tears stream down her cheeks as her parents continued to lecture her. Tomas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her know it was all right.

Marius and Cassidy kicked Ella out of the house. She and Tomas packed up her things and headed out the door.

"You two are NEVER seeing your grandchild!" Ella yelled at her parents as she headed out the door. She slammed it behind her, not caring if she woke up her siblings or not.

"I cannot believe she did that!" Marius fumed as Tomas' car zoomed out of the driveway and into the oncoming night.

"I think you were too hard on her, dear." Cassidy told Marius as she checked on Jace and Felicity. They were both sleeping, which Cassidy was happy about.

"You were hard on her, too. If we only had kept her away from him-" Marius started when Cassidy shot him a death glare. "What?"

"They are so in love, Marius. Can't you see that? If we kept her away from him, she would only resent us more than she ever has in her whole life. He completes her and she completes him. They're like Romeo and Juliet – star-crossed young lovers," Cassidy told her husband, getting off the couch and went to the master bedroom, Marius following right behind her. "Go away, Marius. I'm calling Ella and I'm sure she doesn't want to talk to you."

Ella picked up on the third ring just as they pulled into Tomas' driveway.

"Hello?"

"Ella, it's mom. I just wanted to say, you know I love you unconditionally. You made a mistake, but this baby is a blessing. I will be there for you, no matter what." Cassidy's kind words floated to Ella's ear.

"Thanks mom. I knew I could count on you to support me." Ella told Cassidy, smiling.

"Your dad is really trying, El. Just give him a chance." Cassidy told her eldest.

"I can't – he kicked me out of the family!" Ella told Cassidy, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ella and Cassidy talked for a little bit before Ella went to help Tomas put her things in the spare bedroom.

"You okay?" Tomas asked, kissing the top of Ella's head.

"I don't know!" Ella complained, sitting on the bed. Tomas sat next to her.

"What happened?" Tomas questioned, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Mom is totally in favor of me having this baby. Dad, however, is against me having it. I just want this baby to be here so I can assure my dad that I can be a good mother!" Ella sobbed. Tomas drew her close to him and kissed her temple, his hands going to her stomach.

"It's a shame that we can't share a dorm room when we're at college." Tomas told his girlfriend as they got ready for bed that night. The two of them were taking a shower together.

"What do you mean?" Ella inquired as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. She felt Tomas kiss her neck, his arms wrapped around her.

"The girls have floors 1-3. The boys have floors 4-6. I think you're on the second floor. I'm on the fifth floor." Tomas explained, kissing Ella's shoulders. He turned her so that she was facing him and looked her over.

Ella, Sara, Tomas and the rest of the graduating seniors received their diplomas from their favorite teachers. Ella smiled as Mr. Turner, the choir teacher, handed her a diploma. She hugged him and walked across the stage.

To celebrate the graduation, Tomas, Sara and Ella went to a movie and out to dinner.

Ella had gotten a job at an animal shelter. There were dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and every other small creature imaginable. The shelter also had horses and ponies. Tomas worked at Marius' law office in the mailroom.

The two of them moved all their things to their dorm rooms at the end of the summer. Ella squealed when Sara entered the room. The two of them talked excitedly as they unpacked their boxes and bags of stuff.

Summer ended and fall was approaching. Ella decided to take some child development classes and some business classes. Tomas was also taking the same child development classes that Ella was.

The day before they were to start classes, Tomas proposed to Ella. She said 'yes' as a beautiful ring was placed on her left ring finger. He kissed her, taking in her sweet taste. Ella returned the kisses, happy to be his forever.

The first day of classes went really well. Since Ella was the only pregnant girl in her Birth and Infant class, she would be the class model. The students would take turns measuring Ella as the baby inside of her grew. They would also be asking Ella all sorts of health questions, not only about her, but about her unborn baby and her fiancée.

At lunch, Ella ate more than she had in her entire life. She had lunch with a few friends from her class, including Sara and Tomas.

"So, you're eating for two?" a girl from her class, Meg, asked.

"Yeah. I have to be careful of what I can and can't have." Ella answered, helping herself to some more salad.

A few moments later, Ella was full and headed back to her dorm, Sara right behind her.

"What should I do if you go into labor?" Sara asked as Ella rubbed her stomach. She was three months pregnant and so far, the baby was healthy and happy.

"First, call Tomas then call my doctor – Dr. Nichols. Both their numbers are in my phone. Then call my mom." Ella instructed as she continued to rub her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked, looking up from her Astronomy homework.

"Yeah. We get to hear the baby's heartbeat tomorrow. I'm so excited!" Ella told her best friend as she got into bed. As soon as her head touched the pillow, Ella was out like a light.

The following day after class, Tomas, Sara and Ella were crammed into a small examining room. Dr. Nichols smiled as she entered the room, followed by a young nurse pushing a fetal monitor.

"So, today's the big day – you get to hear your baby's heartbeat." Dr. Nichols told the three people in front of her. Ella was already on the examining table, holding Tomas' hand. He smiled and squeezed her hand back.

Dr. Nichols hooked Ella up to the fetal monitor as Sara watched and took notes. Dr. Nichols then lifted Ella's shirt to her chest and rubbed some gel on her stomach. She then got a wand and ran it over Ella's stomach. A loud thudding filled the air.

"What is that?" Ella asked.

"That is your baby's heartbeat," Dr. Nichols answered. "Have you decided what sort of birth you want? Natural or C-Section?"

"Natural. Tomas and I talked about it and we decided on natural." Ella told the doctor.

"Okay. At your next appointment, we'll see how much weight the baby is gaining and you'll get to see your little one on the ultrasound screen." Dr. Nichols told the young couple. Tomas leaned down and kissed Ella's forehead. She smiled and looked up at her wonderful fiancée.

The two of them thanked the doctor as she wiped up the gel on Ella's stomach.

"Have you two decided on names yet?" Sara asked as they headed back to the dorms.

"Helena for a girl and Rory for a boy." Ella and Tomas answered in unison.

"I love those names." Sara told her friends as Ella's phone rang. She excused herself from the conversation and returned ten minutes later, a big smile on her face.

"Aunt Bridget had her baby – a little boy she and Grantaire named Anthos Tyler. Anthos is from The Three Musketeers and one of Grantaire's favorite books. Tyler because they really liked the name." Ella told her friends, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Congratulations to your aunt and Grantaire." Tomas told Ella, kissing her forehead as the three of them climbed into the elevator. His hands went to her stomach and laid them there. Ella put her hands on top of his and gently squeezed them.

Sara looked at her friends and sighed, hoping to have someone like Tomas one day.

_Two months later_

Ella and Tomas found themselves back in the examining room. This time, they were there to find out what they were having.

"Congratulations you two – you're having a little girl!" Dr. Nichols told the couple, looking at the ultrasound screen. Ella smiled and squeezed Tomas' hand. The little girl was stretched out and was facing them.

"She's beautiful!" Ella breathed, feeling tears in her eyes. Tomas kissed the top of Ella's forehead and looked at the screen.

"Looks like everything is on schedule. Two days before your due date, we'll get you a room in the birthing suite. I would like you to take three months off school." Dr. Nichols instructed Ella. She nodded and thanked the doctor.

"Honey, I just realized something – Helena's due date is the last day of class before Spring Break. We have our Birth and Infant class that day." Tomas told Ella as they went to his house to do laundry.

"Wouldn't that be funny if I went into labor during the class?" Ella joked. Tomas smiled and kissed her forehead, looking into her kind eyes.

_A month later_

Ella was up on a pedestal, demonstrating for the class how big she was. Sara was currently measuring Ella's middle. She wrote down the results and showed it to the teacher. The teacher smiled and announced it to the class.

"So, if Ella has blond hair and green eyes and Tomas had brown hair and eyes, what will their baby look like?" the teacher asked as Ella took her seat.

"She'll probably have both her mother and father's genes." A boy called from the back of the class.

"Right, Greg," The teacher said as the bell rang. "Have a good Spring Break everyone and I'll see you next week!"

Everyone filed out of the classroom, Ella and Tomas being the last ones to leave.

"Ella, when you go into labor, can you call me?" the teacher asked, handing Ella a business card with her information on it.

"Sure." Ella answered, taking Tomas' hand in hers.

"When's your due date?" the teacher asked as the three of them walked out of the building.

"Any day now." Ella answered, suddenly squeezing her eyes shut as something trickled down her leg.

"Are you all right?" Tomas asked, taking Ella aside. He looked down at the ground at a large puddle. "Honey, your water broke. Let's get you to the hospital."

The teacher was glad to go to Ella's dorm room to get her overnight bag and tell Sara that Ella had gone into labor. Tomas called Dr. Nichols and Cassidy as they went to the hospital.

"Easy, sweetie. It's okay." Tomas soothed as he squeezed Ella's hand.

In no time, Ella was changed into a hospital gown and was in the delivery room.


	23. Baby Mine, part 2

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE  
(chapter title – Baby Mine, part 2)

Ella had been in labor for twelve hours and could feel sweat and tears streaming down her cheeks and face as she continued to hold Tomas' hand.

"The head's out! Keep pushing!" Dr. Nichols encouraged Ella. Ella took a deep breath and pushed some more.

Ten minutes later, Ella held her little girl in her arms. She was 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 17.6 inches long. Tomas felt tears in his eyes as he cut the cord of his daughter.

"What's her name?" a nurse inquired.

"Helena Grace Horowitz." Tomas told the nurse, looking down at Ella and Helena.

Ella, Tomas and Helena were now in the birthing suite. Tomas was holding his daughter for the first time while Ella got ready to nurse Helena.

"Okay, I'm ready." Ella told Tomas as he handed her Helena. He watched the baby latch on and suckle loudly.

"She's beautiful. Congratulations you two!" Cassidy whispered as she entered the room, Grantaire and Bridget close behind her.

"Thanks mom. Where's Anthos?" Ella asked.

"Your dad is watching him," Grantaire whispered as he came over to the side of the hospital bed. "May I?"

Ella nodded, gently burped Helena and handed her to Grantaire. Helena opened her eyes and yawned.

"She's precious!" Grantaire whispered as he continued to hold Helena.

"I think we should leave the new family now. Helena was born not that long ago and I'm sure the new parents will want to be with her." Cassidy told her sister and brother-in-law. They nodded as Grantaire handed Helena back to Ella and exited the room.

Ella hummed something as she watched her baby finish her nursing. Ella ran a finger up and down Helena's arm.

"I think she's asleep. Honey, could you put her in the incubator, please?" Ella whispered to Tomas. He nodded and carefully took Helena from Ella and placed her in the incubator. Helena would be staying in the nursery that night so Ella and Tomas could get some sleep.

The following day, the family got the okay to go home. Ella situated herself and Helena in the spare bedroom at Tomas' house. She sang Helena a lullaby before putting her in her crib and turned off the light.

"Do you need or want anything?" Tomas asked as Ella sat next to him on the couch. She shook her head as she leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm really tired. I know that she'll be up at all hours of the night, so I'm gonna take a nap in your room, okay?" Ella told Tomas. He nodded and watched her stand up and go to his room, closing the door behind her.

Tomas' mother came home just as Helena was up for her first feeding of the night. She peered in the extra bedroom and saw Ella tending to Helena.

"Where's Tomas?" Mrs. Horowitz wanted to know.

"He's at the store, getting more diapers. We ran out." Ella told Mrs. Horowitz.

Just then, Tomas came back into the house, carrying three large bags of diapers in his arms. He went straight for the nursery and helped Ella change Helena.

"What does she need yet tonight?" Tomas asked.

"She needs to be fed, burped, rocked and sung to." Ella answered, her voice heavy with sleep. Tomas saw his mother standing in the doorway and ushered her into the room.

"Mom, would you like to hold your granddaughter?" Tomas asked.

"No, thank you." Mrs. Horowitz told her son.

"We're going to need your help when both of us go back to work and school." Tomas told his mother.

"Have Ella's parents help. I am up to my ears in work. I don't have time to take care of a baby." She growled, exiting the room. Ella sat in an armchair next to the window and put her head in her hands. Tomas came up next to her and gently rubbed her shoulders. She looked up and smiled at Tomas. He kissed her forehead and led her out of the room.

"Should we talk about wedding plans?" Tomas asked, getting out his booklet of everything they needed for the wedding.

"Sure." Ella said, getting the monitor and a bottle of water.

They had everything they needed, except a DJ, a wedding date and a seating chart. Cassidy, Bridget and Evanna had been helping the couple with everything else.

"Who's your Maid of Honor going to be?" Tomas asked.

"Sara. What about your Best Man?" Ella asked.

"Kevin." Tomas answered without hesitation.

Ella took care of Helena that night, with Tomas' help. Helena was up at midnight, two, three, six and seven. Ella didn't get to sleep until 7:30 and slept for most of the day.

Tomas was singing to Helena when Kevin entered the room. He saw Tomas changing Helena and walked over to him.

"Am I the only one in this house who hasn't held my niece yet?" Kevin whispered, his tone joking. Tomas smiled and had his little brother sit in the rocking chair. Before he placed Helena in Kevin's arms, Tomas had his little brother put hand sanitizer on his hands.

"Mind her head." Tomas instructed as he handed Helena to Kevin.

"Wow. She's so tiny!" Kevin whispered loudly.

"She'll get bigger." Tomas assured his brother.

Kevin rocked Helena for a while before she started fussing. Tomas gently and carefully took Helena from Kevin.

"Shh, sweetie, it's okay." Tomas soothed as he took Helena to the nursery where Ella was waiting to take her.

"Hi honey," Ella greeted her daughter as Tomas handed her to Ella. She guided the baby to her breast, but Helena refused. She started crying softly. "Shh. It's okay. What do you need?"

Ella carefully stood up and brought Helena to the changing table. Her diaper was clean, but Ella changed it anyway. While she was on the changing table, Ella gently rubbed Helena's stomach. That only made her cry out more.

"Tomas, what do I do?" Ella asked, holding her baby to her chest. She walked Helena around the room and sang song after song, lullaby after lullaby. Nothing worked.

"Let me take her," Tomas told Ella. He carefully took Helena from Ella and held her against his bare skin, "shh, sweetie. It's okay."

Helena calmed down when Tomas sat in the rocking chair with her. He supported her head with one hand and her bottom with the other. Ella smiled at her husband and daughter before going to Tomas' room to go to bed.

She felt Tomas join her a while later and take her in his arms. He kissed her neck and held her closer to him. Ella rested her head on Tomas' chest and fell asleep listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

_Three weeks later_

"My Infant and Baby teacher called last night. She wants us to bring Helena to class." Ella told Tomas as she changed Helena.

"Okay. After class, do you want me to bring her home?" Tomas asked.

"Who would watch her? Your mom and my parents are at work, Kevin's at school, along with my siblings." Ella reminded her fiancée.

"I could take her back to my dorm after class." Tomas told Ella as they made their way to their first class – English Literature with Professor Tower. Professor Tower was not pleased when Ella, Tomas and Helena entered the room and took seats towards the back.

"Sara hasn't seen her yet." Ella whispered as other students filed in for class.

While Ella had been expecting Helena, she managed to get all of the assignments done for all of her classes. Tomas had helped her when he could.

What seemed like a lifetime, it was the final class of the day. Ella and Tomas sat in their usual spots with Helena's car seat between them. Tomas looked down at the baby and smiled when he saw she was sleeping.

"Class, we have a very special guest with us. Ella and Tomas, could you bring that cutie-pie up front, please?" the teacher asked. Ella and Tomas smiled and went to the front of the class. Ella held Helena in her arms.

The class went 'aww' in unison, making Ella and Tomas laugh. Ella adjusted Helena in her arms as Tomas looked lovingly at them.

"Three weeks ago over Spring Break, we welcomed Helena Grace Horowitz into the world. Ella was in labor for twelve hours and did an amazing job. Helena weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 17.6 inches long. She's such a good and sweet baby. She barely cries, except if she needs or wants something. Our doctor says that only two people at a time are allowed to hold her." Tomas told the class, once in a while looking over at Ella.

"May I hold her?" the teacher asked. Ella nodded and smiled as the teacher put hand sanitizer on. Ella carefully handed Helena to her and adjusted Helena's blanket. The teacher looked at Tomas. "She looks like you."

The rest of the class held Helena while the teacher talked. Ella followed Helena as she was passed from person to person. She was about to be passed to Meg when Helena woke up and started crying.

"She's probably tired. I'll take her." Ella told Meg. Meg nodded and carefully handed Helena to Ella. Ella rocked Helena in her arms as Tomas came over. He kissed Ella's temple as the two of them walked back to the front of the class.

Before they knew it, classes were over for the summer. Helena was now three-months-old and looked more like Tomas with each passing day.

"Do we have everything for my parents place?" Ella asked as she strapped Helena in her car seat. At the moment, Helena was fast asleep.

"I think so. Are you sure you're up for this?" Tomas asked as he got in the driver's seat.

"It's been three months. I have to talk to him sometime." Ella told her fiancée, squeezing his hand. Tomas brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed it. Ella smiled and sang along with the radio as she and Tomas headed to her parents place.

They reached the farmhouse twenty minutes later. Cassidy, Anton, Ryan, Cosette, Jace and Felicity all came out to greet Ella and Tomas.

"Where's dad?" Ella asked as she carefully hugged Cassidy.

"He's in his study on a conference call. He should be done pretty soon." Cassidy answered as she carefully took Helena from Ella.

They all went back into the house, the children asking if they could hold Helena.

"Not right now. She's going to go down for a nap then I'll need to feed her." Ella whispered to her siblings as she put Helena in her pack-and-play and sang softly to her.

Since the kids kept waking Helena up, Ella took her to a quiet room and sat down on the rocking chair.

Marius happened to be walking by when he peeked into the room.

"Mind if I come in?" Marius whispered. Ella smiled and motioned him inside. He looked over Ella's shoulder at the most beautiful little baby. "Is this Helena?"

"Yeah. The kids kept waking her up, so we came in here," Ella whispered as she continued to rock Helena. "Do you think we could talk?"

Marius nodded and closed the door so the he and Ella could have some privacy. Ella nursed Helena as they talked.

"I didn't like the way you talked to me when Tomas and I told you we were expecting Helena. What the hell was wrong with you?" Ella asked, extremely irritated.

"I was thinking more about myself than you. I'm sorry for the way I acted. Can you forgive me?" Marius asked. Ella stood up and gently thumped Helena's back. She let out a little squeak as Ella handed her to Marius.

"Well, Tomas and I are getting married next year. I was hoping you would give me away." Ella whispered, adjusting Helena's posture in Marius' arms.

"I would love to!" Marius whispered loudly, making Ella laugh. He then looked at the baby in his arms, "she's so precious! Hello!"

Ella smiled at the two of them. Helena began fussing, but Marius comforted her.

"Shh, shh. It's all right, sweetheart. Don't fuss. You're okay." Marius soothed, but Helena continued fussing.

"Dad, I'll take her. She's either hungry, tired or needs to be changed." Ella told her dad, carefully taking Helena from him.

She put Helena in her crib and turned on the mobile above Helena's head. A soothing melody of 'Music of the Night' filled the room. Ella turned on the monitor as she and Marius exited the room.

"There you are. I was worried that you ran away." Tomas teased as he kissed Ella's forehead. Ella smiled and rested against him.

"Where's Helena? I wanna play with her!" Felicity told Ella.

"Honey, she's sleeping right now. Also, she's too little for you to play with right now." Ella told her youngest sister. Felicity frowned and went to play with Cosette.

The following day, Ella decided to give Helena a bath while Tomas, Cassidy and Marius took the children to the park then out to lunch. Bridget, Grantaire and Anthos met them at the park, along with Enjolras, Eponine and Jolene.

"Hey!" Sara whispered as she entered the house. Ella smiled and poked her head out from the nursery.

"Hey. I'm about to give your goddaughter a bath. Want to help me?" Ella asked, picking up Helena.

"Of course I would!" Sara squeaked. Ella had Sara find Helena's Tinker Belle tub while Ella got the supplies that Helena would need. "Can you hold Helena for a moment? I need to use the bathroom."

"Sure thing." Sara told her best friend as Helena was handed to her. Sara made funny faces at Helena, who didn't enjoy them very much. Ella returned a short while later and carefully took Helena from Sara.

Together, the girls bathed Helena, who throughout her bath, had a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong, baby?" Ella asked as she poured water over Helena's stomach, which Helena didn't like. Ella took that as her cue to finish up. She turned to Sara, "how would you like to change her while I clean up here?"

"Really? Thanks!" Sara said, hugging her best friend. She then carefully picked up Helena and took her to the nursery as Ella cleaned up the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Ella entered the nursery and saw Sara sitting in the rocking chair, Helena in her arms.

"Hey. Thanks, Sar. I'll take it from here." Ella whispered as she carefully took Helena.

Sara stood up and exited the room, leaving mother and baby alone. She went into the kitchen and made herself a snack when Tomas entered the house with Felicity. She was crying and her left knee was bleeding.

"Oh, sweetie! What happened?" Sara asked as she put her food away.

"She was running and tripped. Can you watch her while I get a band-aid?" Tomas told Sara. She nodded and pulled Felicity into a hug.

Tomas arrived two minutes later with a band-aid and some anti-bacterial cream. He rubbed it on her knee before putting the band-aid on.

"I'll go play with the kids if you want to see Ella," Sara told Tomas. He nodded and thanked her before looking around the house. "she's in the nursery with Helena."

"Thanks. Have fun out there!" Tomas told Sara as he headed for the nursery. He smiled when he saw Ella fast asleep in the pink squishy armchair in the corner of the room. Helena was in her crib, also fast asleep.

Tomas carefully picked Ella up and put her in the master bedroom, pulling the blankets over her. He then kissed her forehead before exiting the room, turning off the light behind him.

As the two of them got ready for bed that night, Tomas counted down the days until their wedding and the beginning of their new life together.


	24. Making Dreams A Reality

**A/N: ONLY TWO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL HOPE FOR TOMORROW IS FINISHED!**

**Also, I'm sorry for not posting sooner - I was sick for two weeks with bronchitus (can't spell it, so sue me) and couldn't really focus. I spent most of my time watching movies and trying to get better.**

**I've made a full recovery and hope to post the next chapter soon!**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR  
(chapter title – Making Dreams A Reality)

_A year later_

Ella looked at herself in the full-length mirror. It was the day of her and Tomas' wedding and she couldn't be happier.

"Ella! You look beautiful!" Cassidy told Ella, looking at the two of them in the full-length mirror.

"Thanks. You look pretty, too." Ella told Cassidy, admiring her deep purple dress. Cassidy smiled and went to see if any of the bridesmaids needed help.

Ella had asked Sara, Eponine, Bridget, Evanna, Cassidy, Felicity and Cosette to be bridesmaids. Helena was the flower girl.

Tomas had asked Kevin, Enjolras, Grantaire, Thomas, Marius, Jace and Ryan to be groomsmen. His cousin, Grant, was the ring bearer.

Marius and Ella were the last ones in line. He couldn't keep his eyes off his eldest – she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Too bad I'm not Tomas – I would marry you in a heartbeat." Marius whispered, his tone joking. Ella laughed and hit him in the stomach.

"Dad! Shh! This is serious!" Ella whispered back, trying to keep a straight face. Here Comes the Bride played as Marius and Ella made their way down the aisle. Ella smiled as she saw Tomas, the groomsmen and bridesmaids were waiting for Ella at the end of the aisle, along with the priest.

In no time, Ella was at Tomas' side. He kissed her temple and looked sideways at her.

"You look beautiful!" Tomas whispered. Ella smiled and turned so she was facing him.

"You look handsome!" Ella whispered back, taking Tomas' hands in hers.

The priest started with a traditional Hebrew prayer. Ella smiled and looked at Tomas. He smiled and looked at his beautiful bride.

What seemed like a lifetime, the two of them were man and wife. Tomas kissed Ella with all the passion he could muster. Applause rang out throughout the church as the newlyweds made their way up the aisle.

A short while later, Ella Fantine and Tomas Alexander Horowitz made their way to the dance floor at the reception hall. Applause rang throughout the hall as the DJ played the couple's first dance.

"I can't believe we're married." Tomas whispered in Ella's ear as they circled the dance floor.

"Me, either. All my dreams are becoming real." Ella whispered in Tomas' ear. He dipped her as the song ended and kissed her.

They exited the dance floor and went to sit at the Head Table with the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. As soon as they sat down, everyone clinked their forks against their glasses. Tomas and Ella kissed as applause surrounded them like a blanket.

Ella rested her head on Tomas' shoulder and closed her eyes. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her.

"You ready to go home?" Tomas inquired. Ella nodded and stood up.

"What time is it?" Ella asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"It's a little after midnight." Tomas answered, looking lovingly at her.

"No wonder why I'm so exhausted." Ella told him, feeling him drape his coat over her shoulders.

"Helena is going to stay with your parents while we're on our honeymoon. I don't think she would have any fun on an adults-only cruise." Tomas said, helping Ella into the car.

"We're not adults, so I don't understand why we're going on this cruise in the first place." Ella noted, not bothering to stifle a yawn.

"It'll be fun. In my eyes, we are adults – we have steady jobs and a year-old daughter to raise together." Tomas told Ella as he drove to the airport.

The flight was an hour long to the port where the cruise ship – the SS GODDESS would be leaving.

They checked in with the porters before going to their room. It was on the fifth level and was a lovely room. Tomas and Ella quickly unpacked before going to their balcony, waving goodbye to the people on the dock.

"Do you know any of these people?" Ella asked.

"Nope, just keep waving." Tomas answered, waving goodbye as the ship headed out to sea.

They could hardly feel the waves as the young couple explored the ship. They met a couple in their early thirties named David and Alexis. The four of them became fast friends.

While they were on the ship, Ella got a call from the Olympic Committee – she had been hand-selected for the 2019 Summer Olympics in France.

She and Tomas toasted each other with red wine and dancing with their new friends.

"I am so tired, yet I'm wide awake." Ella noted as she danced with Tomas.

"So am I." Tomas whispered in Ella's ear, making her smile.

The two of them danced for another hour before finding themselves grow tired. They said goodnight to David and Alexis before heading to their room.

The cruise ended three months later, but both David and Alexis promised to keep in touch. Tomas and Ella hugged their new friends before stepping onto the dock.

The plane ride back to the airport was silent, which was okay with Ella – she, along with Tomas, were exhausted.

"I don't feel like driving, so do we want to stay in the motel that's near the airport?" Tomas questioned. Ella nodded sleepily.

The two of them fell asleep in each other's arms, dreaming of their future.


	25. Cassidy's Point of View, part 3

**A/N: ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL THIS STORY IS FINISHED! **

**sadly, there will NOT be a sequel. sorry.**

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE  
(chapter title – Cassidy's Point of View, part 3)

It's been three months since Ella and Tomas' wedding. Ella has started her training for the Olympic Equestrian Team and is in the arena almost every day, mounted on either Hope II, Musketeer or High Tide. Hope II is Ella's dressage horse, High Tide is her stadium jumper and Musketeer is her field jumper.

I watched Ella work with Hope II before I left to have lunch with Tomas' mother. It was on her lunch hour and she had requested to talk to me. I don't know what about – I would find out when I got to the café.

I had no problems finding the little hole-in-the-wall café. I told the hostess that I was waiting for a friend and she had me sit at the bar.

A few moments later, Mrs. Horowitz entered the café. She spotted me and we sat at a table towards the back of the café.

We ordered drinks and food before conversing.

"Helen, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked as I took a sip of my water.

"Ella and Tomas. I didn't like her coming to the house when they were in high school. They were too young to be fooling around." Helen told me. I set my water glass down and felt my eyes grow big.

"She was over there studying with Tomas – that's what she told me." I told her, taking another drink of water.

"I think she was a bad influence on Tomas. Before Ella came into his life, he devoted himself to his schoolwork and his sports. Once Ella and Tomas started dating, she seemed to take his mind off everything – his sports and schoolwork, mostly." Helen said. I couldn't believe what this woman was saying!

"What do you expect me to do about it back then? Make sure they didn't see each other? Keep them away?" I asked. I was furious!

"I just think you could've been a better parent and stop having babies every five minutes." Helen told me. I glared at her as our food came.

After we ate, I stormed out of the café and headed home. I felt my temper rising as I stormed into the house and made my way to Marius' study. I let out a scream, startling Marius.

"Dearest, what's wrong?" Marius inquired, coming over and massaged my shoulders. "You're awfully tense."

"I am NEVER speaking to Helen Horowitz EVER AGAIN!" I exclaimed.

"What happened?" he asked.

I couldn't find the right words, but somehow, I explained what happened during lunch.

"I can't believe that she would say such a thing!" Marius said.

"Tell me about it." I replied, rubbing my temples. Marius sat next to me and held me against him. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me.

"How would you like to go out to dinner? Just the two of us?" Marius asked after a while.

"I would love that, but I'm kind of exhausted. Also, it's our night to watch Helena for Tomas and Ella." I reminded him, kissing his cheek. I stood up and went to the kitchen to make a latte.

"Whoo! I had a really good ride on Musketeer!" Ella exclaimed as she came in the house. "He cleared almost all the jumps and didn't break a sweat!"

"That's great, sweetie. I'm making a latte – would you like one?" I asked. Ella nodded and made a latte for herself.

"Are you and dad okay watching Helena while Tomas and I have our date night?" she asked. "Normally, I would have Sara babysit, but she's sick."

"Poor Sara. What does she have?" I inquired, taking a sip of my latte.

"Bronchitis." Ella answered, taking a small sip of her latte. I frowned knowing what Sara was going through – I had just made a full recovery from bronchitis – it's not fun.

I then remembered my conversation with Tomas' mother that afternoon. I was torn whether or not to tell Ella about it. If I told her, she would be really upset at me. If I didn't tell her, she would somehow find out.

"I hope you two have fun tonight," I told Ella. "What movie and restaurant are you two going to?"

"We're seeing that new romantic comedy that just came out. For dinner, we're going to that new Italian restaurant that just opened up across town." Ella responded, flashing me one more smile before going to her room to change.

Tomas arrived fifteen minutes later with Helena in tow. She was now two-years-old and looked exactly like Tomas.

"Thanks for doing this on such short notice Mrs. P." Tomas said, handing me Helena's diaper bag and eventually Helena.

"You're welcome and how many times do I have to tell you – call me Cassidy." I told my son-in-law. He laughed and hugged me. I hugged him back just as Ella came down the stairs.

Helena, Marius, the kids and I had a really fun night. We watched a movie all of us could agree on – the Sing-A-Long Pals. We also ate a good dinner.

The younger set of twins and Helena took a bath together, which involved a lot of splashing and pretending. I laughed and shook my head, knowing how silly my children and my granddaughter were.

I helped all three of them out of the tub and helped Helena put on her pajamas. I put Helena in the twins' bedroom and read them the story we were reading.

I then turned off the light and looked at the three of them sleeping together. Helena had her head on Felicity's shoulder, her arms around the stuffed giraffe she brought along.

I watched the sleeping three and two year olds for a while before closing the door part way. I then went to say goodnight to Cosette, Ryan and Anton.

Ella and Tomas arrived at the house a short while later. I told Ella where Helena was while Tomas and I talked. I told him about the conversation I had with his mother that afternoon. I also made him promise not to tell Ella – it would upset her. He promised he wouldn't tell her.

"I can't believe my mom said that!" Tomas exclaimed quietly.

"I know. Do you know why she would say that?" I questioned.

"She's probably upset at me because I got Ella knocked up before we were married. There's no need to dwell on that Cassidy." He told me, a broad smile on his face.

"Dearest, are we ready to go?" Ella whispered, carrying a sleeping Helena in her arms. Tomas nodded and held Helena while Ella got the diaper bag. She then turned to me. "Thanks again, mom. I'll be by sometime tomorrow to work the horses."

"Okay. I told your uncles Courfrayac and Joly that they could come and watch." I told Ella. She nodded and together, the three of them were on their way.

I went to find Marius, who was in the master bedroom, working on his laptop. I sat next to him and nuzzled his collarbone. He looked over his shoulder at me and kissed my cheek.

"You all right?" I asked as I got ready for bed.

"Yes and no," he replied, his tone sad. I looked over from putting my hair in a braid and sat next to him. "I've been feeling ill for a while. I went to this medical website to see what was going on. Turns out I have the beginning stages of leukemia."

I felt my stomach drop – there was no way in hell I was losing Marius. I had already lost my mother, father, Cedric and sadly, Thomas. I couldn't afford to lose anyone else in my family.

I hugged him as I felt tears in my eyes. I felt him put his arms around me and hold me close. He ran a hand through my hair and kissed my cheek, assuring me that he would be all right.

I hoped that he would be fine and we could move on with our lives.

* * *

_A year later_

I was in Marius' hospital room, not ready to say goodbye to the one person I cannot live without. He had taken a turn for the worse last night and I feared he wouldn't have long to live.

"Call. The. Kids." He croaked. I nodded, kissed the top of his head and stepped into the hallway. I called Ella to see if she and Tomas could bring the kids – it was time to say goodbye to Marius.

They were at the hospital and at Marius' bedside within twenty minutes. Ella sat next to Marius' bed and held his hand in hers. I helped Tomas wrangle the younger kids, mostly Jace, Felicity and Helena, so they wouldn't get into anything.

Anton threw himself across Marius' chest, begging Marius not to go. Marius smiled and placed a hand on Anton's shoulder, gently squeezing it.

Cosette and Ryan had tears streaming down their cheeks as they joined Ella and Anton at Marius' bedside.

"What are Ella, Anton, Ryan and Cosette doing?" Jace inquired. I sighed and looked at my youngest. They were now four. Ella came up behind me and hugged me.

"I'll take it from here, mom. Dad wants to say goodbye to you." Ella told me. I nodded and walked over to Marius, sitting in the hospital chair near his bed.

He smiled up at me and slowly brought a hand to my cheek. I wrapped my fingers around his hand, wanting to be with him forever.

"Cass, before I go, I want you to do something for me." Marius started. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks, but I didn't care.

"Anything." I told him, blinking tears out of my eyes.

"After I'm gone, I want you to find someone. I don't want to see you all alone after Anton, Cosette and Ryan go off to college." He told me.

"I can't move on – I love you!" I cried.

"I know," he closed his eyes, turning his face towards me, "I love you, too."

It all happened so fast, I don't know where to begin. After Marius took his last breath, I fell on top of him, pleading for him to come back. The nurse shoved me off of him and felt for a pulse. She then looked at me and shook her head.

I slumped in the chair, tears streaming down my cheeks. Ella and Tomas came over, crying with me. The kids eventually came over and hugged me.

That first night alone was so scary. I couldn't believe that Marius was gone. We had just celebrated our 29th anniversary and hoped to celebrate 29 more.

It wasn't until a year after Marius' death that one of Marius' friends, Bahorel, asked me out. I told him 'yes' and the two of us have been on five dates. He proposed to me on our sixth date, which I said 'yes' to as well.

Since I couldn't have children, we decided to look at adoption. We would adopt a baby between the ages of 4 and 8 months, preferably a girl.

When we got back from our honeymoon, there was a message from the adoption agency. Our little four-month-old daughter, Katie Lynn, was ready for us. We didn't even unpack – just threw our suitcases in our room and rushed to the agency.

As soon as I held Katie in my arms, I knew that my life was complete. Bahorel smiled and asked to hold her. I nodded and carefully handed her to him. He kissed the top of her head and held her.

I felt our family was complete.


	26. Epilogue

**A/N: THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER! I "HOPE" EVERYONE LIKED READING HOPE FOR TOMORROW. AS I SAID IN MY PREVIOUS AUTHOR NOTE, THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL - TOO MANY PROJECTS TO WORK ON/UPDATE. I'M ALSO DOING NANOWRIMO AGAIN THIS YEAR, SO THAT'LL BE FUN.**

**until next time**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX  
(chapter title – Epilogue)

Ella does Dressage professionally and rides in the 2019 Summer Olympics in France. Her mounts are – Hope II, Musketeer and High Tide. She marries her high school sweetheart, Tomas. They have two children – Helena and Rory.

Anton becomes an actor and dates his co-star named Elizabeth. They eventually marry and have three children – Cassidy, Elliott and Harper.

Ryan becomes a large animal veterinarian. He dates a fellow vet named Amanda. They marry and have one child – a daughter, Rose.

Cosette becomes a children's author. She marries her publisher, Dave. They have four kids – Elaine, Rebecca, Samantha and Dawn.

Jace becomes a landscaper. He dates a girl named Hannah and they eventually marry. They have four kids – Ashley, Bianca, Catherine and David.

Felicity becomes a professional ballerina. She dates and eventually marries a fellow ballerina named Lavender. The two of them adopt a little boy with special needs named Simon.

Katie becomes a minister. She dates and eventually marries another minister named Andrew. The two of them have triplets – two girls – Ruth and Ester, and a son, AJ.

Sara becomes a singer and dates another singer named Akron. They eventually marry and have a son – Jack.

Jolene becomes a professional tennis player. Meets and dates a fellow tennis player named Steve. They eventually marry and have twins – Sasha and Sophia.


End file.
